'V 


\^^ 


^  OF  PR/Sc^ 


>;5 


A 


NOV  23  1931 


c^ 


Division 
Sectica 


f  ^1 

^,.:'W23  1931 
PAUL'S      ^^GIGALSE^ 

IDEAL  CHURCH  AND  PEOPLE 


M  J^DyuIar  QlnntmBufara 


ON  THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  TO  TIMOTHY 


ALFRED  ROWLAND,  LL.B.,  B.  A. 

(LONDON   university) 


CINCINNATI :  CRANSTON  &  CURTS 

NEW  YORK:  HUNT  &  EATON 

^S93 


PKEFACE. 


In  the  following  pages  I  have  attempted  to  give  my 
readers  a  popular  exposition  of  a  singularly  interesting 
Epistle.  The  text  of  the  Revised  Version,  which  has  been 
universally  recognised  as  a  valuable  result  of  modern 
scholarship,  has  been  used  for  the  exegetical  section. 
This  is  followed  by  a  series  of  forty  sermonettes,  in 
which  every  part  of  the  Epistle  is  dealt  with  practically 
and  homiletically.  In  these,  it  has  been  my  earnest  en- 
deavour to  present  the  whole  letter  as  a  living  utterance 
from  the  greatest  inspired  theologian  ever  possessed  by 
the  Church.  It  is  my  hope  and  prayer  that,  while  the 
thoughtful  reader  may  find  here  some  guidance  amidst 
the  difficulties  and  controversies  of  the  present  day,  the 
homilies  may  not  be  without  value  to  those  whom  God 
has  appointed  to  be  the  religious  teachers  of  their  age, 
whether  in  the  pulpit,  in  the  class,  or  in  the  home. 

I  desire  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the  works 
of  abler  theologians  and  critics,  and  especially  to  "  The 
Pastoral  Epistles,"  by  the  Rev.  Patrick  Fairbairu,  D.D., 


IV  PREFACE. 

and  to  the  valuable  papers  contributed  to  "  The  Expositor  " 
by  the  Rev.  H.  R.  Reynolds,  D.D.  If  I  have  brought 
any  of  the  treasures  of  more  abstruse  scholarship  within 
reach  of  my  readers,  and  if  I  have  been  enabled  to  place 
material  ready  to  the  hands  of  busy  builders  in  Christ's 
Temple  of  Truth  and  Righteousness,  my  labour  of  love 
will  not  have  been  in  vain. 

ALFRED  ROWLAND. 

Crouch  End,  London. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction     . 
Expository  Notes 


SERMONKTl  ZS  ON  FIKST  CHAPTER. 
I.  the  apostles  claim  to  authority 

II.   the   relations   of   PAUL   AND   TIMOTHY 

III.  A  CHRISTIAN   SALUTATION   . 

IV.  TIMOTHY'S   CHARGE         .... 

V.  THE  END   OF  THE  COMMANDMENT 

VI.  THE  PURPOSE  OF  THE   LAW 
VII.    THE  SUMMONS  TO   SERVICE 

VIII.   THE  GOSPEL   IN  A   SENTENCE 
IX.   PRAISE   FOR  SALVATION 
X.   TIMOTHY'S   CHARGE  AND  WARNING     . 

SERMONETTES  ON  SECOND  CHAPTER. 

L  INTERCESSORY  PRAYER 
II.  THE  ATONEMENT  . 

III.  ON  PRAYER   . 

IV.  woman's  true   DIGNITY 
V.  THE  POSITION   OF  WOMAN 

SERMONETTES  ON  THIRD  CHAPTER. 

I.   THE   IDEAL  MINISTER 

IL   THE  IDEAL  DEACON       

III.  THE  HOUSE   OF   GOD 

IV.  THE  MYSTERY  OF  GODLINESS        .... 

V 


PAOB 

xi 


35 
42 
48 
52 
57 
61 
69 

75 
Si 

85 


93 

lOI 

109 

"3 
119 


127 

138 
141 
15? 


vi  CONTENTS. 


SERMONETTES  ON  FOURTH  CHAPTER. 

PAOK 

I.    A   GREAT  HEEESY 159 

II.   OUR   CHARTER   OF   FREEDOM 1 67 

III.  COUNSELS  TO  GOD'S  SERVANTS 1 75 

IV.  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN   TEACHER         .           .  183 

SERMONETTES  ON  FIFTH  CHAPTER. 

I.    CHRISTIAN   REPROOFS I93 

II.   HOME   RESPONSIBILITIES 197 

III.  CHARITY   RULED   BY  WISDOM 202 

IV.  DUTIES  TOWARDS  THE  MINISTRY         .           „           .          .          .209 
V.   ASCETICISM 221 

VL   RETRIBUTION   AND  REWARD         ...,,.  224 

SERMONETTES  ON  SIXTH  CHAPTER. 

I.   UNDER  THE   YOKE 229 

II.   CHRISTIAN  SLAVES  AND  THEIR   MASTERS    .  .  .  .236 

III.  A  CONTRAST   BETWEEN   TRUE  AND   FALSE   TEACHING         .  242 

IV.  CONTENTMENT 247 

V.  COVETOUSNESS 252 

VI.   THE  MAN   OF   GOD 258 

VIL   THE  CHRISTIAN   CONTEST 265 

VIII.   THE  FIGHT  OF   FAITH 270 

IX.   MOTIVES  TO  STEADFASTNESS 273 

X.   THE   PERILS  AND  POSSIBILITIES   OF  THE  RICH  .          .           .  279 

XI.   PERIL  AND   PRESERVATION 285 


INTKODUOTION. 


Authorship. 

Until  the  present  century  the  authenticity  of  this  Epistle 
was  never  questioned  by  any  one  holding  a  recognised 
position  in  the  Christian  Church.  From  the  earliest 
times  it  was  universally  accepted  as  the  writing  of  St. 
Paul,  except  by  Gnostics  and  Marcionites,  who  natu- 
rally repudiated  teaching  which  was  irreconcilable  with 
their  heresies.  In  the  year  1 807,  however,  objections 
to  its  authenticity  were  raised  in  a  letter  of  Schleier- 
niacher's.  These  have  been  exhaustively  treated,  and,  as 
we  believe,  satisfactorily  disposed  of,  by  competent  autho- 
rities, so  that  we  shall  not  attempt  to  deal  with  them 
here  in  detail,  although  some  of  them  are  necessarily 
touched  upon  in  the  following  pages.  In  these  intro- 
ductory remarks  we  content  ourselves  with  calling  the 
reader's  attention  to  the  evident  transparency  and  earnest- 
ness of  our  author,  which  make  it  incredible  that  he 
should  be  guilty  of  assuming  to  be  what  he  was  not, 
and  of  inventing  circumstances  and  relationships  which 
had  no  existence  in  fact.  An  unprejudiced  reader  will 
surely  acquit  him  of  that  sin  of  "  speaking  lies  in  hypo- 


VIU  INTRODUCTION. 

crisy,"  which  in  the  Episfcle  he  distinctly  and  solemnly 
denounces. 

The  Time  and  Place  of  Writing 

ib  is  impossible  to  fix  with  certainty.  The  only  historical 
record  of  St.  Paul's  life  is  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  which 
closes  abruptly  before  the  termination  of  his  labours. 
There  is  satisfactory  evidence  for  believing  that  the 
imprisonment  there  referred  to  ended  either  in  the 
acquittal  of  the  prisoner,  or  more  probably  in  his  dis- 
charge, through  the  non-appearance  of  his  prosecutors, 
for  their  case  had  broken  down  so  completely  in  the 
provincial  court,  that  any  shrewd  Roman  lawyer  would 
advise  them  that  further  proceedings  against  him  would 
be  futile.  It  is  clear  from  Philippians  i.  27,  and  from 
Philemon  22,  that  St.  Paul  expected  some  such  issue, 
and  hoped  at  no  distant  date  to  resume  his  labours.  The 
traditions  of  the  Church  strongly  confirm  the  belief  that 
this  hope  was  fulfilled,  and  that  several  years  were  spent 
in  evangelistic  work,  before  he  was  imprisoned  a  second 
time,  and  beheaded  in  the  reign  of  Nero.  This  period 
would  give  opportunity  for  writing  the  Pastoral  Epistles, 
and  the  interval  which  elapsed  between  them  and  the 
earlier  letters  will  account  for  some  of  the  slight  differences 
in  style  by  which  they  are  distinguished.  The  Second 
Epistle  to  Timothy  was  unquestionably  written  while  the 
Apostle  was  in  prison,  awaiting  his  trial  with  far  more 
anxiety  as  to  the  issue  than  appears  in  former  letters, 
and  with  none  of  the  alleviations  mentioned  in  the  Acts. 
He  represents  himself  as  being  jealously  guarded,  as  he 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

was  not  when  dwelling  "  in  his  own  hired  house."  He 
refers  to  the  danger  his  friends  incurred  in  coming  to  see 
him,  or  in  appearing  to  be  identified  with  him,  and 
entreats  his  beloved  son  to  hasten  to  Rome,  that  he 
might  comfort  him  by  his  presence,  and  receive  the  last 
instructions  of  one  who  had  "  finished  "  his  course.  All 
this  points  to  a  second  imprisonment ;  and  it  is  to  the 
period  immediately  preceding  it,  while  the  Apostle  was 
still  free  in  his  movements,  that  we  unhesitatingly  assign 
the  First  Epistle  to  Timothy,  who  had  been  left  in  Ephesus; 
and  the  letter  to  Titus,  who  was  labouring  in  Crete. 
Where  St.  Paul  was  when  he  thus  wrote,  it  is  impossible 
to  determine.  The  Revised  Version  very  properly  omits 
the  subscriptions  which  refer  to  "  Laodicea,"  "  Rome," 
and  "Nicopolis;"  for  all  of  them  are  without  warrant,  and 
the  first  and  third  are  obviously  incorrect.  Laodicea,  to 
which  our  Epistle  is  attributed,  was  in  Asia,  which  Paul 
had  left  before  writing  it,  for  he  reminds  Timothy  that 
he  had  departed  into  Macedonia.  Probably  it  was  from 
Philippi,  or  some  other  city  in  the  Macedonian  province, 
that  he  despatched  this  letter. 

The  Value  of  the  Pastoral  Epistles 

it  would  be  difficult  to  overrate.  They  contain  the 
counsels  given  by  the  great  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  on 
recurrent  difficulties,  at  the  period  when  his  experience 
and  practical  wisdom  were  most  mature.  In  earlier 
letters  he  had  dealt  very  fully  with  the  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  but  here  he  addresses  himself  to  the  govern- 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

ment  and  organisation  of  the  Church.  He  wisely  reserved 
what  he  wished  to  say  respecting  the  manifestation  of 
religious  life  until  he  had  treated  of  its  essence;  for 
Church  government  follows  Christian  teaching,  and  is 
less  important  than  it.  In  apostolic  days  the  organisa- 
tion of  the  Church  was  of  the  simplest  kind.  Besides 
bishops  and  deacons  there  were  few  (if  any)  recognised 
officials.  Indeed  it  is  an  open  question  whether  the 
Church  would  not  have  saved  herself  from  bitter  conflicts 
if  she  had  been  content  with  her  early  simplicity,  or  if 
she  had  been  willing  to  permit  the  religious  life  of  each 
Christian  Church  to  manifest  itself  freely  under  the 
sunshine  of  heavenly  love,  in  the  form  most  natural  to 
itself,  as  God-given  life  always  does  in  nature.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  it  is  one  happy  result  of  the  simpler 
methods,  characteristic  of  the  apostolic  era,  that  St.  Paul 
was  able  to  deal  with  the  difficulties  which  arose  then, 
not  by  detailed  and  technical  instructions,  but  by  the 
enunciation  of  a  few  great  principles,  which  have  proved 
capable  of  applications  unlimited  in  their  variety,  amid 
the  new  controversies  of  each  succeeding  age.  This  will 
have  numerous  exemplifications  in  the  homiletical  portion 
of  this  volume. 

The  Object 

of  the  First  Epistle  to  Timothy  was  to  advise  the  young 
evangelist,  and  to  strengthen  his  authority  in  dealing 
with  the  practical  difficulties  and  doctrinal  controversies 
which  confronted  him  in  Ephesus,  He  had  been  left  in 
charge  of  the  Church  in  that  great  city  as  the  represen- 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 

tative  of  the  Apostle,  whose  return  was  very  uncertain. 
His  want  of  previous  experience  and  his  gentle  tempera- 
ment rendered  the  important  position  assigned  to  him 
one  of  peculiar  difficulty.  Though  he  was  not  effeminate, 
his  piety  was  of  a  feminine  type.  He  was  more  disposed 
to  flexibility  than  to  firmness,  and  appears  to  have  been 
lacking  in  the  daring  of  personal  initiative.  This  was 
natural,  for  his  constitutional  peculiarities  had  been 
fostered  by  circumstances.  As  the  close  and  constant 
companion  of  St.  Paul  he  had  hitherto  been  content  to 
carry  out  his  great  leader's  instructions  with  loving 
fidelity.  But  now  in  Ephesus  he  had  for  the  first  time 
to  stand  alone  amongst  jealous  opponents,  whose  age  and 
ability  made  them  formidable.  The  reception  of  such  a 
letter  as  this  would  be  an  inspiration  to  him,  under  the 
impetus  of  which  he  would  be  ready  to  dare  and  do  great 
things  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  But  our  Epistle  has 
proved  of  permanent  value  to  the  Church,  giving  to  its 
teachers  in  age  after  age  a  deeper  sense  of  their  respon- 
sibilities, and  affording  them  a  treasury  of  practical 
wisdom  which  enables  them  to  meet  on  the  one  hand 
hierarchical  assumptions,  and  on  the  other  "the  opposi- 
tions of  science  falsely  so  called." 

A  flood  of  light  is  cast  by  this  letter  on  the  personal 
relationship  existing  between  Paul  and  Timothy,  which 
was  so  close,  tender,  and  sacred,  that  it  is  best  represented 
by  the  love  between  father  and  son.'  The  steadfastness 
of  this  beautiful  friendship  was  due  in  part  to  the  win- 
someness  and  nobility  of  the  Apostle,  who  was  a  born 
leader  of  men  ;  but  in  part  also  to  the  loyal  and  lovable  dis- 


INTRODUCTION. 


position  of  Timothy.  He  seems  to  have  been  distinguished 
alike  for  sensitiveness  and  for  earnestness.  Simple  in 
character,  unfailing  in  consideration  for  others,  self-for- 
getful almost  to  a  fault,  devout  and  spiritually  minded,  he 
was  at  once  a  noble  evangelist,  and  the  dearest  comrade 
of  this  great  Apostle,  who,  under  the  shadow  of  approach- 
ing death,  yearned  for  his  presence  more  than  for  that  of 
any  other  friend  on  earth.  Our  interest  in  this  young 
evangelist  is  intensified  when  we  remember  that  he  is 
the  earliest  example  in  the  history  of  the  Church  of  one 
trained  for  the  service  of  our  Lord  by  a  Christian  mother. 
In  this  he  appears  as  the  first  fruit  of  a  splendid  harvest- 
field. 


EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 


EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 


EXPOSITORY    NOTES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Ver.  I.  According  to  the   commandment   of  God. — As 

God's  messenger  and  ambassador  Paul  spoke  with  authority 
(Gal.  i.  I ).  Our  Saviour. — A  title  seldom  given,  as  it  is  here, 
to  the  Father.  The  only  other  instances  occur  in  the  Pas- 
toral Epistles,  in  Jude,  and  in  the  Magnificat.  Our  hope.  — 
Hope  glowed  more  intensely  in  the  Apostle  as  he  neared 
the  end  of  his  life's  journey. 

Ver.  2.  My  true  child. — Timothy's  new  life  had  come 
to  him  through  Paul's  words.  It  was  fatherly  love 
which  inspired  the  prayer  in  this  verse.  Mercy  is 
here  added  to  the  usual  form  of  benediction.  In  the 
growing  infirmities  of  old  age  Paul  felt  increiisingly  the 
preciousness  of  Divine  mercy,  and  from  his  own  past 
experience  he  knew  how  necessary  it  was  for  Timothy, 
a  gentle-hearted  man,  who  was  called  to  do  the  work 
of  a  hero. 

Ver.  3.  As  I  exhorted  thee — not  "besought,"  as  in 
A.  V.  He  did  not  entreat  this  as  a  personal  favour,  but 
urged  Timothy  to  it  as  his  appointed  duty.     The  sentence 


2  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

thus  begun  is  left  incomplete.  When  I  was  going  into 
Macedonia. — Whether  on  this  journey  he  visited  Ephesus, 
leaving  Timothy  there,  or  whether  his  foreboding  at 
Miletus  was  fulfilled,  is  uncertain.  Certain  men — a  slightly 
contemptuous  phrase.  A  different  doctrine — from  that 
which  I  have  taught,  and  thou  hast  learned.  The  heresies 
alluded  to  are  best  left  indefinite.  Error  is  protean,  but 
in  eveiy  form  it  is  to  be  exposed  and  rebuked. 

Ver.  4.  Fables. — The  allusion  is  probably  to  Jewish 
myths,  such  as  those  preserved  in  the  Talmud.  Endless 
genealogies. — Fanciful  and  foolish  use  was  made  of  those 
which  are  given  in  the  Old  Testament.  Philo,  for  example, 
founded  a  whole  system  of  psychology  upon  them.  The 
which  minister  —  give  rise  to  questionings — disputes  of 
words,  which  can  have  no  practical  use.  Rather  than  a 
dispensation  of  God — such  as  was  the  subject  of  apostolic 
preaching.      Which  is,  finds  its  sphere,  in  faith. 

Ver.  5 .  But  the  end,  or  purpose,  of  the  charge  given  by 
God  in  the  Gospel  is  love  (Matt.  xxii.  36—40;  Rom. 
xiii.  10;  I  Cor.  xiii.  13).  A  pure  heart — unstained  by 
sensuality  or  by  selfishness.  A  good  conscience — free 
from  guilt  and  void  of  offence.  And  faith  unfeigned — with- 
out hypocritical  pretence.  From  this  verse  it  appears 
that  the  false  teachers  were  leading  men  away  from  the 
earnest,  loving,  Christ-like  life  to  which  they  were  called 
by  the  Gospel. 

Yer.  6.  Having  swerved  from  the  ideal  they  ought  to 
have  been  aiming  at,  they  have  turned  aside  unto  vain 
talking.  It  is  easier  to  quibble  over  Christ's  words  than 
to  imitate  Christ's  life. 

Yer.  7.  Desiring  to  be  —  announcing  themselves  as 
being — teachers  of  the  law.  The  Mosaic  law  is  in  the 
apostle's   mind.      They  understand  neither  what  they  say 


EXPOSITOKY    NOTES.  3 

— language  is  vague  when  convictions  are  non-existent — 
nor  whereof  they  confidently  affirm  =  they  do  not  know 
anything  about  the  real  truth  which  lies  under  the 
phrases  they  use. 

Ver.  8.  The  law  is  good. — Its  proper  use  is  to  testify 
against  the  sins  which  are  enumerated,  because  it  was 
into  these  that  the  false  teachers  and  their  followers  were 
falling  through  their  moral  laxity.  The  law  is  used 
lawfully  when  it  arouses  horror  of  sin  and  brings  the 
ungodly  to  penitence. 

Ver,  9.  A  righteous  man  here  signifies  a  morally 
virtuous  man,  who  is  the  opposite  of  those  next  men- 
tioned. The  lawless  —  careless  about  law — unruly,  or 
insubordinate,  who  are  defiant  of  law.  The  ungodly  are 
those  who  have  no  reverence  for  God,  and  the  sinners  are 
those  who  openly  offend  Him.  The  unholy  and  profane — 
alienated  both  from  God  and  from  His  law,  repudiating 
all  connection  with  what  is  holy  and  sacred. 

Having  referred  to  those  who  disregard  the  first  table  of 
the  law,  the  apostle  goes  through  the  second  table,  down 
to  the  ninth  commandment  inclusive,  taking  each  in  its 
order.  Murderers  of  fathers  and  murderers  of  mothers  — 
transgfressors  of  the  fifth  commandment,  who  migfht  be 
denoted  also  by  the  word  "  smiters,"  v/hich  appears  in 
the  margin.  Manslayers — violators  of  the  sixth  com- 
mandment. 

Ver.  10.  For  fornicators,  for  abusers  of  themselves 
with  men — including  all  sins  of  abomination  against 
both  sexes.  Men-stealers. — Slave-dealing  is  the  most 
hideous  form  of  disobedience  to  the  eighth  command- 
ment ;  for  to  steal  the  man  himself,  and  rob  him  of  the 
freedom  which  his  Maker  gave  him,  is  atrocious.  Liars 
and  false- swearers  break  the  ninth  commandment.      The 


4  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

tenth  is  omitted,  possibly  because  of  its  more  spiritual 
nature,  for  the  apostle  was  here  dealing  with  the  grosser 
sins.  Sound  doctrine  means  teaching  which  is  healthy 
and  wholesome,  as  opposed  to  what  is  sickly,  morbid,  or 
artificial. 

Ver.  II.  The  Gospel  of  the  glory  =  the  good  news  of 
the  glory  of  God,  which  is  love,  redeeming  the  sinful 
through  Christ — which  was  committed  to  my  trust.  Paul 
recalls  this  fact  with  the  more  thankfulness  when  he 
remembers  how  near  he  once  was  to  becoming  such  a 
false  teacher  as  he  is  here  rebulcing.  This  leads  him 
to  a  digression,  in  which  he  adoringly  records  his  own 
experience  of  Divine  mercy. 

Ver.  I  2.  Enabled  me. — Giving  him  strength  and  light 
for  his  work.  Christ  Jesus — whom  he  saw  and  heard  on 
the  road  to  Damascus  (Acts  ix.  5).  Counted  me  faithful 
— God  foresaw  that  he  would  prove  so. 

Ver.  I  3 .  Paul's  thankfulness  is  the  greater  because  of 
his  previous  opposition  to  the  Gospel,  with  which  he  was 
now  intrusted.  Injurious— y/3pto-T'/9  signifies  insolence 
revealed  in  acts  of  wantonness  and  outrage.  History 
does  not  record  all  the  sins  of  which  conscience  reminded 
this  former  persecutor.  Ignorantly  (Luke  xxiii.  34),  in 
unhelief — ignorance  was  the  cause  of  the  unbelief. 

Ver.  14.  With  faith  and  love. — The ^e  accompanied  the 
gift  of  superabounding  grace,  and  found  their  home  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

Ver.  15.  Faithful  =  worthy  of  credit,  is  the  saying. 
These  axioms  of  the  Christian  faith,  circulated  as  they 
were  among  believers,  are  peculiar  to  the  Pastoral  Epistles, 
and  indicate  their  later  date.  I  am  chief — not  "  I  was," 
nor  "I  am  one  of  the  chief,"  either  of  which  would  have 
been  less  startling.      This  is  an  expression  of  the  deepest 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  5 

humility,  and  was  perfectly  sincere.  Compare  i  Cor. 
XV.  9. 

Ver.  16.  Howbeit  indicates  the  contrast  between  the 
Apostle's  judgment  of  himself  and  the  mercy  God  had 
displayed  towards  him.  In  me  as  chief,  or  "  first "  of  those 
so  graciously  forgiven.  His  long-suffering  gave  time  for 
repentance.  Believe  on,  is  a  phrase  which  brings  out  the 
idea  of  reliance.  Saving  faith  is  not  so  much  crediting 
Christ's  words  as  relying  on  Christ  Himself,  the  Giver  of 
eternal  life  (John  xvii.  2). 

Ver.  17.  This  doxology  to  the  Father  is  similar  to 
Rom.xvi.  25-27.  The  King  Eternal="the  King  of  the 
ages."  Incorruptible  (Rom.  i.  23).  Invisible  (John  i. 
18;  I  John  iv.  I  2).  The  only  God — the  word  "  wise  " 
is  interpolated  in  the  A.  V.  from  the  doxology  in 
Romans. 

Ver.  18.  This  charge — not  the  one  given  in  vers.  3-5, 
but  the  charge  to  fight  courageously,  which  immediately 
follows.  My  child — an  expression  which  indicates  not 
only  Paul's  love,  but  his  consciousness  of  Timothy's  weak- 
ness, and  his  expectation  that  he  would  succeed  him  in 
his  work,  as  a  son  would  follow  his  father.  Prophecies 
were  by  no  means  infrequent  in  the  early  Church 
(Acts  xxi.  10,  II,  xiii.  2).  In  accordance  with  those 
uttered  when  Timothy  was  set  apart  for  his  work,  the 
apostle  here  exhorts  him :  That  by  them  thou,  &c. — 
well  rendered  by  Luther,  "  that  thou  therein  do  a  knightly 
work." 

Ver.  19.  Faith  and  a  good  conscience  are  twin-sisters. 
A  man  with  a  bad  conscience  eagerly  abjures  the  faith. 
On  the  other  hand,  true  faith  purifies  the  conscience. 
Which  some  having  thrust  from  them. — The  allusion  is  to 
consciencej  which  is  often  silenced  and  repudiated,  as  a 


6  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

troublesome  suppliant  may  be ;  and  religious  faith  ia 
destroyed  with  the  irrevocableness  of  a  shipwreck  when 
conscience  is  rejected. 

Ver.  20.  Two  men  in  Ephesus  are  mentioned  by  name 
as  having  been  guilty  of  this.  Hymenaeus,  who  may  be 
identified  with  the  heretic  alluded  to  in  2  Tim.  ii.  17,  18, 
and  Alexander,  whom  we  cannot  certainly  identify. 
Whom  I  delivered — either  by  apostolic  authority  or  in- 
directly through  the  action  of  the  Church,  under  his 
direction  (i  Cor.  v.  1-5).  Unto  Satan. — It  was  not  only 
a  Jewish  belief  that  Satan  was  allowed  power  to  inflict 
bodily  disease,  but  it  was  a  doctrine  alluded  to  by  our 
Lord  and  His  Apostles  (Luke  xiii.  1 6  ;  2  Cor.  xii.  7).  The 
object  of  such  chastisement,  which  followed  on  Church 
discipline,  was  the  reformation  of  offenders,  that  they 
might  be  taught  not  to  blaspheme.  A  pure  communion 
is  the  essence  of  the  Church's  strength. 


CHAPTER   n. 

Ver.  I.  The  word  therefore  carries  us  back  to  the 
charge  referred  to  in  i.  18.  First  of  all. — R.  V.  properly 
connects  this  with  I  exhort.  The  exhortation  was  of 
primary  importance,  because  prayers  for  men  in  general, 
and  for  kings  in  particular,  were  likely  to  become  less 
earnest  during  a  period  disturbed  by  persecution  or  by 
party  feeling.  Supplications  are  the  cries  of  conscious 
want ;  prayers,  the  utterances  of  solemn  devotion  which 
can  be  addressed  to  God  alone ;  intercessions,  prayers 
for    others.      Thanksgivings    are    to    be    associated    with 


EXPOSITORY    NOTES.  7 

all  these,  because  of  good  already  received  and  evils 
already  averted.  For  all  men  —  whether  Christians, 
Jews,  or  heathen,  an  implicit  condemnation  of  exclu- 
siveness. 

Ver.  2.  After  this  general  exhortation,  mention  is 
made  of  some  who  had  special  need.  Kings. — The  plural 
form  is  used  to  make  the  command  universal.  Even  the 
Jews  had  been  taught  this  duty  (Jer.  xxix.  7).  Reverence 
for  law  should  be  characteristic  of  a  Christian  (Rom.  xiii. 
1—7).  That  we  may  lead  =  because,  in  answer  to  prayer 
God  will  guide  our  rulers  (Prov.  xxi.  I ).  A  tranciuil 
and  quiet  life. — How  different  from  the  fanatical  striving 
for  a  crown  of  martyrdom  which  marked  a  later  period 
of  the  Church's  history.  In  all  godliness  and  gravity — 
the  right  dispositions  towards  God  and  towards  men, 
respectively. 

Yer.  3.  Motives  for  obedience.  This  is  good  in  itself, 
displaying  the  true  Christian  spirit,  and  acceptable  in  the 
sight  of  Grod  our  Saviour  (i.  i).  The  argument  is,  that 
as  God  wills  that  all  men  should  be  saved,  we  ought  to 
pray  for  all.  We  are  to  broaden  out  our  sympathies 
towards  the  breadth  of  God's,  and  this  is  most  natural  to 
us  when  we  ai'e  on  our  knees. 

Ver.  4.  That  God's  desire  to  save  is  unlimited  is 
shown  by  Rom.  viii.  32,  xi.  32;  Titus  ii.  ii.  But 
salvation  is  only  possible  to  those  who  accept  its 
terms,  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth — the 
"  full  knowledge  "  {e7riyva)at<i,  not  yycoai?),  which  includes 
faith,  love,  and  obedience. 

Ver.  5.  For  there  is  one  God,  one  Mediator  also. — 
The  unity  of  God,  who  made  all  nations,  and  of  the 
Mediator,  who  represented  the  whole  race,  is  mentioned 
as  an  evidence  that  all  men  are  included  in  the  Divine 


8  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

scheme  of  redemption.  Himself  man — not  merely  "  a  man," 
but  the  Representative  of  humanity,  the  Second  Adam. 

Ver.  6.  A  ransom  for  all — redeeming  life  by  life. 
The  testimony  that  there  is  one  Mediator,  who  gave  Him- 
self a  ransom  for  all.  To  be  borne  in  its  own  times — by 
the  apostles  and  teachers  of  the  Church. 

Ver.  7.  Of  these  Paul  was  himself  one,  and  he  now 
alludes  to  his  calling  of  God  as  a  proof  of  the  universality 
of  Divine  grace.  I  was — not  "  I  am,"  as  in  A.  V. — 
appointed  preacher — the  general  term  which  was  appli- 
cable to  all  messengers  of  the  Gospel.  And  an  apostle — 
an  office  which  gave  him  the  authority  he  claimed. 
I  speak  the  truth,  I  lie  not. — This  solemn  adjuration  the 
Apostle  found  to  be  necessary,  because  his  claims  were 
repudiated  and  he  himself  misjudged.  A  teacher  of  the 
Gentiles — a  fact  which  gave  special  force  to  his  command 
that  prayer  should  be  made  for  all  men.  In  faith  and 
truth. — His  faith  in  Christ,  and  his  hold  on  the  truth 
revealed  in  Him,  were  the  means  by  which  he  fulfilled 
his  commission. 

Ver.  8.  Therefore  connects  this  command  with  vers. 
1—3,  after  the  digression  in  vers.  4-7.  That  the  men, 
as  distinguished  from  the  women,  who  were  not  to 
lead  public  prayer  in  the  Ephesian  Church,  At  the 
same  time,  the  general  term  "  men "  indicates  that 
prayer-leading  was  not  left  to  officials.  In  every  place. 
— The  Jewish  notion  of  sanctity,  so  far  as  it  depended 
on  special  locality,  was  abolished.  Lifting  up — an 
attitude  customary  among  the  Jews  in  taking  oaths, 
in  giving  benedictions,  and  in  offering  prayers  (Psalm 
Ixiii.  4).  Holy  hands — unstained  by  evil  deeds  (Psalm 
xxiv.  4,  xxvi.  6  ;  James  iv.  8).  Without  wrath 
or  disputing — the   latter    being   the   outward   expression 


EXPOSITORY  NOTES.  9 

of  the  former.  The  A.  V.  and  margin  of  R.  V. 
has  "  doubting,"  i.e.,  disputing  with  God,  a  temper 
adverse   to   acceptable  prayer  (Mark  xi.   24 ;    James   i. 

6,  7). 

Ver.  9.  In  like  manner  (I  desire)  that  women — wlio 
worshipped  with  men  in  Christian  assemblies,  instead  of 
being  confined  to  their  own  court,  as  Jewesses  were  in  the 
Temple.  The  reference  here  is  to  their  conduct  and  adorn- 
ment in  the  place  of  prayer.  Their  recent  emancipation 
from  certain  restraints  characteristic  of  Oriental  life  made 
these  wise  counsels  absolutely  necessary.  They  were  to 
adorn  themselves  in  a  spirit  of  bashful  modesty,  in  modest 
apparel,  avoiding  anything  in  dress  or  manner  which 
betokened  levity  or  was  likely  to  arouse  unholy  desire. 
With  shamefastness  —  a  good  old  Saxon  word,  almost 
obsolete,  but  revived  in  R.  V.  In  the  edition  of  1 6 1  i 
the  word  "  shamefacedness "  was  unfortunately  sub- 
stituted. Shamefastness  signifies  a  shrinking  from  all 
that  was  indelicate  :  and  sobriety  denotes  the  habit  of 
mind  which  ensues  on  continued  self-restraint.  Gold  or 
pearls. — Among  the  Ephesian  converts  some  were  evi- 
dently rich  enough  to  possess  these.  Costly  raiment 
(Matt.  xi.  8).  Compare  with  this  verse,  Isaiah  iii.  1 6-23 ; 
I  Peter  iii.  3. 

Ver.  10.  Professing  godliness,  a  phrase  peculiar  to 
the  Pastoral  Epistles.  Good  works — such  as  Dorcas  was 
distinguished  for — are  the  best  ornaments  of  devout 
womanhood. 

Ver.  1 1 .  Let  a  woman  learn  in  quietness,  with  all 
subjection. — The  reference  is  still  to  the  public  assemblies, 
where  women  were  not  to  teach  (i  Cor.  xiv.  34).  This 
had  been  the  rule  in  Jewish  Synagogues,  and  was  still 
useful  in  the  state  of  society  existing  in  Ephesus  and  in 


10  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

other  great  Gentile  cities.  In  judging  of  sucli  passages, 
we  shall  see  their  wisdom  more  clearly  if  we  take  the 
standpoint  occupied  by  modern  missionaries  among  the 
women  converts  of  India. 

Ver.  I  2.  But  I  permit  not  a  woman  to  teach,  i.e.,  in  the 
public  assemblies  at  Ephesus.  Even  in  those  days  women 
did  teach,  and  God  blessed  their  words  (Acts  xviii.  26). 
Nor  to  have  dominion  over  a  man. — The  reference  is  not  to 
the  husband  only,  but  to  the  general  relation  of  the  sexes, 
in  which  the  man  is  the  head  of  the  woman,  two  reasons 
for  which  the  Apostle  proceeds  to  give,  both  being  drawn 
from  Genesis. 

Ver.  13.  It  is  clear  that  the  Old  Testament  narra- 
tive was  regarded  by  Paul  as  an  inspired  utterance. 
Adam  was  first  formed. — Compare  i  Cor.  xi.  9.  Adam 
and  Eve  were  prototypes  of  manly  and  of  womanly 
nature. 

Ver.  14.  Adam  was  not  beguiled,  as  Eve  was,  by  the 
Serpent,  although  he  was  misled  by  her.  From  this  fact 
the  Apostle  infers  that  woman  is  more  susceptible. to  guile 
and  persuasion. 

Ver.  1 5 .  But  she  shall  he  saved  through  the  child- 
b  taring. — For  the  interpretation  of  this  we  must  turn 
to  Gen.  iii.  1 6.  The  sentence  on  woman  was  twofold. 
She  was  to  be  in  subjection  to  the  man,  and  she  was  to 
bring  forth  children  in  sorrow.  But  this  was  transformed 
into  a  means  of  blessing.  As  man  found  his  redemption 
partly  in  his  appointed  work,  so  woman  found  it  partly 
in  the  patient  endurance  of  her  trial  and  in  the  faith- 
ful discharge  of  her  motherly  functions.  And  the  whole 
world  found  redemption  in  the  Seed  of  the  woman,  who 
was  born  that  He  might  bruise  the  Serpent's  head.  Yet 
the  condition  of  redemption,  whether  of  man  or  of  woman, 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  I  I 

is  stated  here — if  they  continued  in  faith  and  love,  and 
sauctification  with  sobriety. 


CHAPTER  IIL 

Ver.  I .  The  Apostle  now  begins  to  describe  the  qualifi- 
cations needed  by  various  officers  in  the  Christian  Church, 
for  such  a  statement  would  be  of  inestimable  value  to 
Timothy.  If  a  man  seeketh  the  office  of  a  bishop. —  It 
seems  strange  that  thei'e  should  be  any  desire  for  what 
must  have  been  a  post  of  danger.  But  the  conduct  of 
Diotrephes  shows  that  a  love  of  pre-eminence  asserted 
itself  in  apostolic  days.  Some  were  too  little  sensible 
of  the  responsibilities  of  office.  Others  were  full  of  zeal, 
but  wanted  the  guidance  and  control  here  proffered. 
A  bishop  was  at  first  the  chief  pastor  of  a  church,  and 
the  title  was  synonymous  with  presbyter.  The  latter 
title  was  the  earlier  in  use,  having  been  naturally 
transferred  to  the  Christian  assembly  from  the  Jewish ; 
but  it  was  superseded  by  eiria-Koirog,  which  was  already 
familiar  to  Greeks  from  political  usage.  A  good  work. — 
It  was  to  be  regarded  as  a  "  work,"  not  as  a  dignity,  for 
it  was  difficult  though  honourable. 

Ver.  2.  The  qualifications  mentioned  concern  the 
daily  life.  There  is  no  allusion  to  the  higher  gifts  of 
the  Spirit,  which  no  Christian  should  lack,  and  a  bishop 
least  of  all.  Without  reproach. — Stress  is  justly  laid  on 
reputation  in  the  world  and  in  the  Church.  Character 
alone  was  not  sufficient.  The  husband  of  one  wife. — This 
certainly  does  not  ordain  that  a  bishop  must  marry,  for 
probably  Paul  iiimself  and  Timothy  were  unmarried  ;  but 


12  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

it  is  distinctly  oppose.d  to  the  rule  of  celibacy.  If  the 
meaning  is  that  the  bishop  is  not  to  have  more  than  one 
wife,  the  question  arises,  Is  this  precept  levelled  at 
polygamy  ?  That  it  is  applicable  to  it  no  one  can  doubt ; 
but  polygamy  was  so  seldom  practised  in  Greek  and 
Roman  cities,  that  we  incline  to  the  opinion  that  Paul 
was  thinking  of  the  corrupt  facility  of  divorce  which  pre- 
vailed, so  that  a  man  might  have  a  woman  as  his  wife 
while  former  wives  were  still  living.  Given  to  hospitality 
(Rom.  xii.  1 3  ;  Heb.  xiii.  2  ;  1  Peter  iv.  9).  The  im- 
portance of  this  duty  was  great  in  those  days,  when  means 
of  communication  were  limited,  and  accommodation  for 
guests  was  infrequent,  and  persecution  assailed  those  who 
harboured  the  evangelists.  Apt  to  teach  =  able  and 
willing. 

Ver.  3.  These  sins  appear  to  lie  outside  the  category 
of  those  to  which  a  prominent  Christian  would  be 
tempted.  But  we  must  remember  the  impulsive  vehe- 
mence of  the  Oriental  character,  and  the  half-Christianised 
morality  of  the  early  Church.  The  history  of  some  of 
the  early  ecclesiastical  councils  more  than  justifies  these 
warnings.  Not  contentious  =  not  cursed  by  a  wrangling 
temper,  which  provokes  discord.  No  lover  of  money  (Luke 
xvi.  14). 

Ver.  4.  One  that  ruleth  well  his  own  house. — His 
household,  consisting  perhaps  of  slaves  as  well  as  of 
children,  was  to  be  a  church  on  a  small  scale.  In  subjec- 
tion— as  opposed  to  the  lawlessness  of  a  family  each 
member  of  which  does  what  is  right  in  his  own  eyes. 
Eli's  family  was  a  sad  example  of  what  Paul  dreaded. 
With  all  gravity — the  reference  here  is  to  the  father,  not 
to  the  children. 

Ver.    6.   Not  a  novice,  i.e.,  a  man  recently  converted, 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  1 3 

whose  faith  had  not  become  deep-rooted  in  the  soil  of 
knowledge.  There  was  no  necessity  to  appoint  these  in 
the  Church  at  Ephesus,  for  it  had  been  established  more 
than  twelve  years.  With  Paul  it  was  not  a  question  of 
youth,  but  of  inexperience  in  the  Christian  life.  Puffed  up 
— at  the  notion  of  being  more  exalted  than  older  Chris- 
tians. He  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil — a 
passage  from  which  we  may  infer  that  the  devil  was 
punished  for  pride. 

Ver.  7.  He  must  have  good  testimony  from  them  that 
are  without. — It  was  not  enough  to  be  blameless  among 
his  fellow-Christians.  If  he  bad  been  notorious  for  vice, 
and  had  recently  been  converted,  until  he  had  won  a  reputa- 
tion for  holiness  among  his  former  associates,  it  would  be 
unwise  to  appoint  him  to  high  office  in  the  Church.  Lest 
he  fall  into  reproach — as  one  suspected  of  sin  ;  for  this  would 
depress  him,  and  make  him  more  liable  to  fall  into  the 
snare  of  the  devil.  A  man  who  is  regarded  as  evil  is 
more  likely  to  become  evil.  A  good  reputation  is  a 
Divine  safeguard,  which  should  be  jealously  maintained 
for  our  own  sake  and  for  the  sake  of  others. 

Ver.  8.  Deacons — required  much  the  same  qualifica- 
tions as  bishops  ;  indeed,  the  duties  of  the  two  offices 
were  not  accurately  defined,  and  sometimes  overlapped 
each  other.  Grave — serious,  not  flippant  in  speech  and 
demeanour.  Not  double-tongued — ad  alios  alia  loqucntes 
(Bengel).  Passing  from  house  to  house  in  their  visita- 
tions, they  might  be  tempted  to  this.  Not  given  to  much 
wine — a  characteristic  not  less  required  of  a  Christian 
teacher  in  our  own  day.  Not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre — 
they  had  special  opportunities  for  appropriating  money 
intrusted  to  them  for  the  relief  of  the  poor. 

Ver.    9.    Holding  the  mystery  of  the  faith— the  truth 


14  EPISTLE    TO   TIMOTHY. 

once  hidden,  but  now  revealed,  which  could  only  be 
understood  by  faith.  This,  which  they  had  already 
received,  they  were  to  hold,  as  it  only  could  be  held, 
in  a  pure  conscience — a  golden  casket  for  a  priceless 
treasure.  For  the  association  of  faith  and  conscience, 
see  also  i.  19. 

Ver.  10.  These  were  to  be  proved  by  the  preceding 
tests  before  appointment  to  office. 

Ver.  I  I .  All  women  should  possess  the  characteristics 
mentioned  here,  but  particularly  those  of  them  who  are 
prominent  in  the  Church,  whether  as  "  wives  "  (A.  V.) 
of  deacons  or  as  deaconesses.  Not  slanderers — envy  and 
rivalry  lead  to  this  sin.  Faithful  in  all  things — small  as 
well  as  great,  in  the  home  as  well  as  in  the  Chui'ch. 

Ver.  12.  Care  for  their  own  children  would  prepare 
for  the  care  of  the  poor  and  sick  in  the  Church,  with 
whom  they  had  specially  to  do. 

Ver.  13.  Reward  for  faithful  service  is  not  left  out  of 
consideration  by  New  Testament  writers.  It  is  a  legiti- 
mate and  God-given  motive,  peculiarly  helpful  in  the 
formation  of  right  habits.  A  good  standing— not  so 
much  in  the  hierarchical  order  as  in  their  own  spiritual 
life,  and  in  the  bliss  accompanying  its  development  here 
and  hereafter.  Great  boldness  is  fostered  by  a  clear 
conscience,  and  by  the  consciousness  of  an  unblemished 
reputation,  on  which  the  Apostle  has  been  strongly 
insisting. 

Ver.  14.  These  things  write  I  unto  thee — in  addition 
to  general  instructions  given  vivd  voce,  hoping  =  although 
I  hope — to  come  unto  thee  shortly  =  sooner  perhaps  than 
I  expect,  and  sooner  than  these  written  instructions  may 
lead  thee  to  expect. 

Ver.    1 5.    The  house   of  God. — The  Church   is  so  de- 


EXPOSITORY    NOTES.  I  5 

siguated  because  God  owns  it,  built  it,  dwells  in  it, 
and  will  complete  it.  The  Church  of  the  living  God 
suggests  a  contrast  with  the  splendid  Temple  of  Diana  in 
Ephesus,  which  enshrined  a  dead  image.  It  is  much 
disputed  whether  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth 
refers  to  the  Church,  as  R.  V.  implies,  or  to  the  religious 
truth,  described  in  the  next  verse,  on  which  the  Church 
rests. 

Ver.  1 6.  The  six  clauses  of  this  verse  appear  in  the 
original  in  a  form  so  metrical  and  euphonious  that  they 
formed  not  improbably  a  hymn  or  a  form  of  creed.  The 
word  "  God  "  appearing  in  A.  V.  is  properly  omitted  in 
R.  V.  as  resting  on  "  no  sufficient  ancient  evidence." 
He  who  was  manifested  in  the  flesh  (i  John  i.  2). 
Justified  in  the  spirit. — Compare  Luke  vii.  35.  The 
meaning  is  that  the  Lord  Jesus  was  justified  in  His 
claims ;  was  proved  to  be  what  He  was  by  the  Spirit, 
who  dwelt  in  Him  (John  iii.  34),  and  raised  Him  from 
the  dead  (Rom.  i.  4).  Seen  of  angels — who  ministered 
to  Him  throughout  His  earthly  life  (Matt.  iv.  i  i  ;  Luke 
xxii.  43).  Preached  among  the  nations. — Observe  the 
contrast  between  the  holy  angels  and  the  sinful  nations 
— the  two  extremes  meeting  in  Christ.  Believed  on  in 
the  world. — The  result  of  the  preaching  (2  Thess.  i.  10). 
Received  up  in  glory — at  His  ascension  (Luke  xxiv.  5  i  ; 
Acts  i.  9-1 1 ). 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Ver.  I.   But  =  notwithstanding   the  glorious  truth  just 
alluded  to,   the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly.      The  spirit  of 


1 6  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

prophecy  spoke  under  the  new  as  distinctly  as  under  the 
old  dispensation,  indicating  the  wisest  plans  for  service 
(Acts  xvi.  6),  and  warning  of  impending  dangers  (Acts  xx. 
23).  Both  to  the  apostles  and  to  other  teachers  a  com- 
ing apostasy  had  been  foretold  (2  Peter  iii.  2,  3  ;  I  John 
ii.  18;  Jude  I  8).  Later  times — not  equivalent  to  "  the 
last  days  "  in  2  Tim.  iii.  i  ;  the  reference  is  to  the  period 
which  shortly  followed  that  in  which  Paul  was  writing, 
which  was  notorious  for  its  heresies.  Seducing  spirits — 
which  inspired  false  prophets,  in  opposition  to  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  led  Christians  into  all  truth  (John  xvi.  13). 
Doctrines  of  devils. — not  respecting  devils,  but  emanating 
from  them.  The  apostles  taught  that  heathendom  was 
ruled  by  unseen  but  personal  powers  of  darkness. 

Yer.  2.  Through  the  hypocrisy  of  men  that  speak 
lies. — Evil  spirits  influence  men  through  their  fellows 
(2  Peter  ii.  i).  Branded  in  their  own  conscience  as  with 
a  hot  iron. — It  was  the  custom  to  brand  criminals,  and 
these  false  teachers  are  represented  as  bearing  the  mark 
of  their  own  guilt  on  their  conscience.  But  we  must  not 
overlook  the  effect  of  branding.  It  not  only  marked  the 
criminal,  but  it  destroyed  his  sensibility  wherever  his 
flesh  was  seared.  Conscience,  often  touched,  becomes 
seared  into  callousness ;  and  thus  it  was  with  these 
heretics. 

Ver.  3.  Forbidding  to  marry. — The  Essenes  had  done 
this,  and  the  Gnostics,  "  in  later  times  "  than  those  of  the 
Apostle,  did  so  too,  though  on  different  grounds ;  for  they 
maintained  that  marriage  was  an  institution  of  the 
Demiurge.  They  also  commanded  to  abstain  from  meats, 
because  they  held  that  materials  for  the  nourishment  of 
the  body  had  their  source  in  the  principle  of  evil.  These 
heresies  were   as  yet   only  in   germ,  and   still   elude   the 


EXPOSITORY    NOTES.  17 

searcli  of  tlie  ecclesiastical  historian,  but  were  even  then 
discernible  to  an  inspired  apostle.  Whicli  God  created. — 
It  is  a  cardinal  doctrine  of  Christianity  that  all  things  are 
of  God,  and  will  be  for  man's  welfare  if  received  with 
thanksgiving  by  them  that  helieve  and  know  the  truth ; 
an  important  limitation,  for  it  checks  the  immoderate  or 
improper  use  of  anything. 

Ver.  4.  From  the  special  case  just  mentioned,  Paul, 
according  to  his  wont,  announces  a  universal  principle. 
Every  creature  or  created  thing  is  good  (see  Romans  xiv. 
14-20,  Acts  X.  I  5). 

Ver.  5.  For  it  is  sanctified. — Its  holiness  is  not  in- 
herent, but  depends  on  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  used. 
Through  the  Word  of  God  and  prayer. — The  reference  does 
not  appear  to  be  merely  to  a  special  command,  such  as  Gen. 
i.  29,  but  to  the  prayer  and  thanksgiving  used  by  early 
Christians  over  their  food,  consisting  as  these  did  of  the 
words  of  Scripture.  This  custom,  if  devoutly  maintained, 
may  transform  a  common  meal  into  a  sacrament.  Cony- 
beare  quotes  from  the  Apostolical  Constitutions  vii.  49, 
a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  ancient  forms  of  thanks- 
giving— "  Blessed  be  Thou,  0  Lord,  who  hast  fed  me 
from  my  youth  ;  who  givest  food  to  all  flesh.  Fill  our 
hearts  with  joy  and  gladness,  that,  having  always  all 
sufficiency,  we  may  abound  unto  all  good  works  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  through  whom  be  unto  Thee, 
honour,  glory,  and  power,  for  ever  and  ever — Amen." 

Ver.  6.  These  things — iii.  14  to  iv.  5.  Error  is 
best  met  by  presentation  of  the  truth,  not  by  angry 
rebuke.  Nourished  in  the  words  of  the  faith. — Growth 
and  nurture  in  the  divine  life  depend  on  God's  Word.  Man 
does  not  live  by  bread  alone  (Matt.  iv.  4,  i  Pet.  ii.  2). 
"  The  words  of  the  faith  "  are  the  truths  of  the  Gospel. 


1 8  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

Ver.  7.  Fables,  or  myths,  denote  abstract  speculations, 
destitute  alike  of  historic  reality  and  of  practical  useful- 
ness, which  the  false  teachers  propagated.  They  were 
profane  or  unspiritual  in  matter,  and  in  manner  were 
silly  enough  for  the  gossip  of  old  wives.  Exercise  thyself 
unto  godliness. — Aiming  at  likeness  to  God,  as  an  ideal 
still  to  be  attained  (Phil.  iii.  I  2- 1 4). 

Ver.  8.  Bodily  exercise  is  profitable  for  a  little. — In- 
creasing, as  it  does,  bodily  strength,  gaining  in  the  arena 
crowns  of  honour,  fitting  for  the  rescue  of  others  from 
danger,  &c. ;  but  godliness  is  profitable  for  all  things, 
affecting  the  whole  man,  for  time  and  for  eternity. 

Ver.  9.  Faithful  is  the  saying. — That,  namely,  which 
has  just  been  mentioned. 

Ver.  10.  For  to  this  end. — The  reference  is  to  the 
future  life,  which  constantly  rose  before  the  apostle's  mind. 
We. — Paul,  Timothy,  and  those  likeminded  with  them. 
Labour  and  strive. — In  action  and  in  suffering.  The 
living  God  is  able  to  comfort,  inspire,  and  bestow  that 
deathless  life  which  is  in  Himself  This,  however.  He 
can  only  do  because  He  is  the  Saviour — able  to  deliver 
from  sin  and  death.  All  men. — Who  are  the  objects  of 
His  yearning  love. 

Ver.  I  I.  Command  refers  to  the  practical,  and  teach 
refers  to  the  theoretical,  truths  mentioned. 

Ver.  12.  Let  no  man  despise  thy  youth. — Timothy  was 
so  to  conduct  himself  that  no  one  would  find  occasion  for 
doing  this,  as  they  would  have  done  if  he  had  been  char- 
acterised by  jejune  utterances  and  arrogant  assumption. 
He  was  now  between  thirty  and  forty  years  of  age ;  but 
some  presbyters  would  be  older  than  he,  and  yet  it  would 
be  his  duty  to  instruct  and  rebuke  them.  Be  thou  an 
example  (see  Titus  ii.  7);  in  word — public  teaching  and 


EXPOSITORY    NOTES.  1 9 

private  talk ;  in  manner  of  life — general  conduct ;  in 
love,  in  faith — the  two  sources  of  right  speech  and  act ; 
in  purity — peculiarly  needful  in  Ephesus. 

Ver.  13.  Till  I  come,  give  heed  to  reading. — From  the 
connection  the  reference  appears  to  be  to  the  public 
reading  of  Scripture  (Luke  iv.  16,  Acts  xiii.  15, 
Coloss.  iv.  16). 

Ver.  14.  Neglect  not  the  gift  that  is  in  thee. — Even 
divine  gifts  perish  through  disuse.  The  special  gift  of 
Timothy,  which  fitted  him  for  his  appointed  work,  was 
given  by  prophecy,  with  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the 
presbytery.  This  rite  was  first  solemnly  performed  by 
Paul  himself  (2  Tim.  i.  6),  afterwards  by  the  presbyters. 
It  was  a  symbol  accompanying  prayer  for  the  communica- 
tion of  the  Holy  Ghost  (Acts  viii.  1 7,  xix.  6). 

Yer.  15.  Give  thyself  wholly  to  them. — Mind,  and 
heart,  and  will  were  to  be  devoted  to  the  service  of  Christ 
That  thy  progress, — At  no  period  of  his  life  should  the 
greatest  saint  imagine  that  he  has  reached  all  that  is 
possible  to  him. 

Yer.  16.  This  closing  exhortation  is  singularly  com- 
prehensive. Take  heed  to  thyself  and  to  thy  teaching. — 
The  inner  life  and  the  outward  service  ever  call  for 
prayer  and  watchfulness.  In  doing  this  thou  shalt  save 
both  thyself  and  them  that  hear  thee — from  error  and 
from  sin,  and  thus  share  the  Saviour's  joy. 


20  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Ver.  I.  An  elder. — Not  used  here  as  an  official  title. 
The  allusion  is  to  age,  Timothy  himself  being  compara- 
tively young.  Rebuke  was  not  to  be  administered  by 
him  to  an  older  man  in  severe  dogmatic  tone,  but  with 
the  teuderness  which  a  right-minded  son  would  display 
to  his  father  if  he  had  done  wrong.  The  younger  men  as 
brethren. — Reproof  was  not  to  be  withheld  from  any  who 
deserved  it ;  but  tone  and  manner  were  to  be  wisely 
regulated. 

Ver.  2.  The  elder  women  as  mothers. — Home  relation- 
ships were  the  types  of  those  which  were  to  prevail  in 
the  Church.  Purity  was  to  be  sedulously  maintained  by 
watchfulness,  not  only  against  moral  evil,  but  against  even 
the  appearance  of  it. 

Ver.  3.  Honour. — Respect  as  well  as  help.  Widows 
indeed. — Those  without  children  or  near  relatives,  whose 
duty  it  would  be  to  support  them.  The  Greek  word  %r]pa 
expresses  the  idea  of  loneliness. 

Ver.  4.  Widows — were  among  the  first  objects  of  the 
Church's  solicitude  (Acts  vi.  i),  and  there  are  indications 
here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  that  this  Christian  charity  was 
abused  by  some  who  ought  to  have  been  supported  by  their 
own  relations.  Against  this  the  apostle  protests.  Wisdom 
in  distributing  alms  is  as  necessary  as  generosity  in 
supplying  them.  Grandchildren — properly  substituted  for 
"  nephews  "  in  A.  V. ;  although  the  latter  phrase  formerly 
indicated  "  descendants."  Let  them,  i.e.,  the  children 
and  grandchildren,  learn  first  to  show  piety  towards  their 
own  family,  including  their  grandparents,  especially  those 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  2  1 

who  were  widowed.  This  is  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God 
(Mark  vii.  lO;   Eph.  vi.  2). 

Ver.  5.  Desolate. — Strengthening  the  idea  in  the 
phrase  widow  indeed,  who  was  without  relations  able  to 
support  her.  Hath  her  hope  set  on  God,  who  alone  can 
help  her,  and  who  wills  to  do  so  through  His  Church. 
Continueth  in  supplications — an  allusion  probably  to  Anna 
as  a  typical  widow  (Luke  ii.  37). 

Ver.  6.  But  she  that  giveth  herself  to  pleasure,  living  a 
life  of  extravagance  and  self-indulgence,  is  dead  while  she 
liveth — quite  a  Pauline  phrase  (Rom.  viii.  1 3). 

Ver.  7.  That  they — the  widows — ^may  be  without  re- 
proach in  the  judgment  of  the  Church  and  of  the  world. 

Ver.  8.  The  apostle  was  justly  severe  in  his  rebuke 
of  those  who  neglected  their  own  kin,  however  good  the 
service  they  might  render  to  the  Church.  Fidelity  in 
ecclesiastical  duties  never  compensates  for  neglect  of 
home  claims.  He  hath  denied  the  faith — the  Christian 
faith,  the  essential  principle  of  which  is  love,  and  which 
enforces  home  responsibilities  instead  of  releasing  from 
them.  And  is  worse  than  an  unbeliever,  for  many  Pagans 
recognised  the  duties  which  are  here  insisted  upon. 

Ver.  9.  Let  none  be  enrolled  as  a  widow. — This  can 
hardly  refer  to  the  list  of  those  who  were  supported  out 
of  Church  funds,  for  it  would  be  manifestly  uncharitable 
to  exclude  the  necessitous  on  the  ground  of  youth;  and  it 
would  be  unwise  also,  for  it  might  drive  them  into  sin. 
Nor  would  it  be  just  to  refuse  help  to  a  widow  who  had 
possibly  never  had  any  opportunity  for  performing  the 
duties  specified  in  the  next  verse.  There  seems  to  have 
been  a  recognised  class  of  widows,  who  occupied  a  different 
and  superior  position  to  that  taken  by  most  of  those  who 
received   relief.      They  had  their   appointed  duties  and 


2  2  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

received  their  appointed  support.  Probably  they  were 
employed  in  training  children,  in  visiting  the  poor,  in 
aiding  those  of  their  own  sex,  and  were  similar  to,  but  not 
to  be  identified  with,  the  "  deaconesses  "  of  the  Church. 
That  "  widows  "  became  an  official  designation  is  evident 
from  Tertullian's  allusion  to  "  a  virgin  under  twenty  years 
of  age,  who  was  in  the  widowhood."  In  the  days  of  Paul 
this  institution  existed  in  germ,  although  there  was  not 
the  sharp  definition  of  ecclesiastical  classes  and  offices 
which  subsequently  prevailed.  Under  threescore  years  old 
— an  age  at  which  she  was  not  likely  to  marry  again — 
having  been  the  wife  of  one  man. — See  our  note  on  iii.  2. 

Ver.  10.  Well-reported  of  for  good  works. — Like  Phebe 
(Rom.  xvi.  I,  2),  and  Tabitha  (Acts  ix.  36),  and  others 
who  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  the  women  who  minis- 
tered unto  the  Lord  (Luke  viii.  2,  3).  If  she  hath  brought 
up  children — of  her  own,  or  of  others.  Hospitality  to 
strangers. — An  Oriental  custom  which  Christianity  made 
more  binding  and  sacred.  Washed  the  saints'  feet. — 
Compare  Luke  vii.  44—47;  John  xiii.  i  — 15.  The 
afflicted — the  poor,  the  sick,  and  the  troubled.  Every 
good  work  within  the  limits  of  her  capacity  and  oppor- 
tunity. 

Ver.  1 1 .  Younger  widows  refuse — ^if  they  apply  to  be 
put  upon  the  special  list ;  although  they  would  certainly 
not  be  allowed  to  starve  for  want  of  support.  Their 
temptations  were  terrible  in  a  city  like  Ephesus,  especially 
after  the  miserable  training  of  their  girlhood.  To  under- 
stand these  we  must  think  of  a  young  widow  in  India 
rather  than  in  England. 

Ver.  12.  Having  condemnation — not  "damnation,"  as 
A.  V.  Their  first  faith — means  the  vow  which  they  would 
implicitly  or  explicitly  take  on  entering  the   order  of 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  23 

"  widowhood  ; "  that  they  would  devote  themselves  ex- 
clusively to  Christ,  and  to  His  Church — a  virtual  engage- 
ment not  to  marry  again. 

Ver.  13.  Idle. — Neglecting  appointed  duties.  Going 
al)out  from  house  to  house — "  gadding  about,"  as  we  say, 
without  good  cause ;  a  temptation  which  would  be 
strengthened  by  the  introductions  to  many  homes,  which 
their  office  would  give.  Tattlers  also  and  busybodies — 
retailing  gossip  and  interfering  with  the  affairs  of  others 
(2  Thess.  iii.  i  i).  These  words  are  severe,  and  ought  not  to 
be  regarded  as  universally  or  even  generally  true ;  but  as 
being  vividly  descriptive  of  certain  cases  which  would  be 
instantly  recognised  by  Timothy,  and  by  the  Church  at 
Ephesus. 

Ver.  14.  I  desire  therefore. — (Chap.  ii.  8,  note). — 
Marry — i.e.,  a  second  time  (as  in  i  Cor.  vii.  39),  it 
opportunity  and  inclination  concurred.  Bear  children. — 
The  word  implies  not  merely  the  birth  of  children,  but 
their  nurture  ;  and  the  apostle's  desire  would  be  fulfilled 
by  those  who  were  wisely  bringing  up  their  step-children. 
Rule  the  household. — What  a  contrast  all  this  presents  to 
the  conventual  morality  of  later  times  !  The  adversary. — 
The  opponent  of  Christianity  on  the  look-out  for  occasion 
of  reviling. 

Ver.  I  5 .  Some — young  widows  in  Ephesus — are  turned 
aside  after  Satan — into  heresy,  or  into  immorality,  or  into 
marriage  with  heathen. 

Ver.  16.  The  duty  insisted  upon  in  verse  4  is  here 
enforced,  especially  on  believing  women,  on  whom  the 
claims  of  the  family  were  prior  to  those  of  the  Church. 

Ver.  17.  A  new  subject  is  begun  here,  namely,  the 
proper  treatment  of  worthy  and  of  unworthy  teachers. 
The    elders    that    rule    well  —  men    of    eminent    ability, 


24  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY, 

earnestness,  and  devoutness — be  counted  worthy  of  double 
honour,  not  necessarily  "  of  double  income  " — especially 
those  who  labour,  the  original  implies  that  these  worked 
specially  hard  as  preachers,  in  the  word — hortatory  dis- 
course, and  in  teaching  —  instruction  catechetical  and 
didactic.  It  is  clear  that  in  apostolic  days  all  elders  did 
not  discharge  the  same  duties.  Some  ruled,  who  did  not 
teach;  and  others  taught  who  did  not  rule.  Such  variety 
and  flexibility  are  unhappily  lost  in  the  present  day. 

Ver.  1 8.  The  apostle  illustrates  his  point  by  quoting 
Deut.  XXV.  4,  a  passage  which  he  explains  more  fully  in 

1  Cor.  ix.  g.  The  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire. — This 
phrase  is  not  found  in  the  Old  Testament.  It  was  a 
proverbial  expression  quoted  by  our  Lord  (Luke  x.  7). 

Ver.  19.  An  elder  here  denotes  an  official,  a  "pres- 
byter." Against  such  an  one  Timothy  was  not  to  heed 
unsupported  charges,  which  might  originate  in  envy  or 
in  revenge,  and  yet  might  disturb  his  own  mind,  and 
his  relations  with  him,  painfully  and  needlessly.  The 
old  law  of  evidence  was  a  wise  one,  and  was  always  to 
be  followed  in  cases  of  this  kind  (Deut.  xvii.  6,  Heb.  x. 

2  8).     Our  Lord  Himself  confirmed  it  (Matt,  xviii.  I  5-1 7). 

Ver.  20.  Them  that  sin — among  the  elders,  to  whom 
the  apostle  is  referring — reprove  in  the  sight  of  all. — 
Their  public  position  required  this  public  repudiation  of 
their  wickedness,  at  least  in  the  case  of  all  sins  which 
were  gross  enough  to  be  scandals.  We  need  not  suppose 
that  all  their  failings  were  so  dealt  with,  or  that  past 
misconduct  was  dragged  into  publicity ;  for  the  present 
tense  implies  that  they  were  continuing  in  wrong-doing. 
("  They  that  sin  "  =  "  they  that  are  sinning.") 

Ver.  2 1 .  This  solemn  charge,  in  which  Timothy  is 
reminded    of  God's   presence    and    help,    was    peculiarly 


EXPOSITORY    NOTES.  2$ 

suited  to  stimulate  him  to  watchfulness  and  encourage 
him  to  faithfulness.  The  elect  angels  may  mean  those 
among  the  heavenly  hierarchy  who  are  employed  in  con- 
nection with  the  human  race.  Without  prejudice — i.e., 
without  hasty  or  preconceived  judgment;  doing  nothing 
by  partiality — using  a  magnify ing-glass  for  some  men's 
faults,  and  a  microscope  for  those  of  others. 

Ver.  2  2.  Lay  hands. — The  allusion  is  to  the  ordination 
of  presbyters,  which  was  to  be  the  outcome  of  previous 
thought  and  prayer,  instead  of  being  done  hastily:  neither 
be  partaker  of  other  men's  sins.  Timothy  would  naturally 
feel  himself  responsible  for  having  extended  the  range 
of  a  bad  man's  evil  influence,  if  he  raised  him  thought- 
lessly to  any  position  of  prominence.  Keep  thyself  pure. 
— Emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  pronoun,  for  the  evangelist's 
own  character  and  reputation  were  more  important  in 
proportion  to  his  influence  over  others. 

Ver.  23.  This  unexpected  counsel  has  about  it  all  the 
marks  of  authenticity.  Only  in  a  genuine  private  letter, 
such  as  this,  would  a  writer  interject  a  word  of  loving 
thoughtfulness,  which  suddenly  occurred  to  his  mind,  in 
the  midst  of  more  important  subjects.  Timothy,  with 
his  ascetic  tendency,  had  given  up  the  use  of  all  bever- 
ages but  water,  no  doubt  with  a  wish  to  protest  against 
the  excesses  of  others.  But  his  rigid  abstinence  was,  in 
Paul's  opinion,  affecting  his  health,  and  was  possibly 
being  made  use  of  by  those  who  taught  the  heresies 
mentioned  in  iv.  3  in  favour  of  their  theories. 

Ver.  24.  The  next  two  verses  contain  a  general  state- 
ment of  fact  which  would  help  Timothy  in  his  appoint- 
ments of  suitable  officers  in  the  Church.  Some  men's 
sins  are  evident. — These  men  are  constantly  condemning 
themselves,  and  for  them  no  special  foresight  is  required, 


26  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

because  a  glance  reveals  what  manner  of  men  they  are — 
their  sins  going  before  unto  judgment — like  heralds  pro- 
claiming their  character — "  crying  sins,"  we  still  call 
them  ;  and  some  men  also  they  follow  after. — Their  sins 
are  not  known  till  after  condemnation  has  been  pro- 
nounced. 

Ver.  25.  Happily  what  is  true  of  evil  deeds  is  also 
true  of  good  deeds.  They  will  all  be  manifested,  though 
not  all  in  the  same  waj'',  nor  at  the  same  time.  There 
are  good  works  that  are  evident — known  from  the  hour 
of  their  being  done — and  such  as  are  otherwise  cannot  be 
hid.  In  God's  good  time  they  also  will  be  revealed 
(Matt.  X.  26). 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Ver.  I.  From  the  officers  of  the  Church  the  apostle 
turns  to  various  classes  of  people  represented  in  the 
Christian  community.  Servants  under  the  yoke  —  i.e., 
slaves  in  general ;  and  not  those  only  who  were  treated 
with  exceptional  severity.  Slarery  itself  was  a  heavy 
yoke  to  bear.  Converted  slaves  might  naturally  suppose 
that  their  relationship  to  their  masters  was  greatly  altered 
by  their  Christian  profession.  They  might  resent  autho- 
rity, or  try  to  escape  from  the  yoke.  But  the  apostle,  in 
spite  of  his  well-known  love  of  liberty,  urged  them  to 
submission  and  obedience  ( i  Cor.  vii.  2  i  ;  Eph.  vi.  5  ; 
Col.  iii.  2  2  ;  Titus  ii.  9).  A  servile  war  might  have 
been  easily  provoked,  but  it  would  have  proved  disastrous 
to  liberty.  Worthy  of  all  honour. — A  repetition  of  the 
phrase  used  in  ver.  17,  which  confirms  our  interpretation 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  2'J 

of  it.  Tlie  doctrine  =  the  Divine  Gospel  (Titus  ii.  i  o). 
More  than  their  own  reputation  was  concerned.  Their 
disorderliness  and  rebellion  would  cause  their  faith  to  be 
blasphemed  (2  Sam.  xii.  14). 

Ver.  2.  If  slaves  had  believing  masters — they  were  not 
to  despise  them,  withholding  signs  of  respect  and  acts  of 
obedience  ;  but  to  serve  them  all  the  more  readily,  be- 
cause in  that  case  they  that  partake  of  the  benefit,  who 
had  the  advantage  of  their  service,  are  believing  in  Christ, 
and  beloved  of  God  (Philemon  i  o- 1 6). 

Ver.  3.  This  verse  implies  that  false  teachers  had 
already  been  misleading  the  Christian  slaves.  Sound 
words  are  healthy  words,  free  from  morbid  sentimeutalism. 

Ver.  4.  He  is  puffed  up,  knowing  nothing. — Pride  is  a 
source  of  intellectual  and  moral  blindness.  A  man  who 
is  sure  that  he  knows  is  incapacitated  for  learning. 
Doting  about  questionings. — Having  a  diseased  appetite 
for  idle  speculations  and  fruitless  controversies.  Envy  of 
other  men,  whose  influence  or  ability  may  be  greater. 

Ver.  5.  Men  corrupted  in  mind  and  bereft  of  the  truth. 
— Moral  corruption  is  an  abyss  from  which  steal  up 
the  mists  which  hide  spiritual  truth — supposing  that  god- 
liness is  a  way  of  gain  —  hypocritically  abusing  their 
Christian  profession  and  gifts  for  selfish  ends,  and 
making  their  connection  with  the  Church  a  lucrative 
business.  Simon  Magus  was  a  type  of  these  (Acts 
viii.  18-24). 

Ver.  6.  Still  godliness  is  not  without  its  reward.  The 
false  teachers  were  in  error,  because  they  confined  their 
view  to  material  advantages,  and  to  the  present  life. 
But  godliness  with  contentment — which  springs  from  it 
— is  great  gain. 

Ver.    7,    The    transient   nature    of    worldly    things    is 


28  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

given  as  one  reason  why  we  should  be  content  with 
what  we  have  of  them.  They  are  never  a  property,  but 
only  a  loan  to  be  given  up  at  call.  We  "brought  nothing 
into  this  world  (Job  i.  2 1 ) — for  neither  can  we  carry 
anything  out  (Psalm  xlix.  17  ;  Luke  xii.  20). 

Ver.  8.  A  second  reason  for  contentment  is  that  our 
real  wants  are  fewer  than  many  imagine.  Having  food 
and  covering — the  latter  is  a  better  word  than  "  raiment," 
in  A.  v.,  because  it  includes  the  idea  of  shelter.  We 
shall  be  therewith  content — that  is,  if  we  are  reasonable 
men. 

Ver!  9.  The  third  reason  urged  for  contentment  is 
that  its  opposite  leads  to  misery  and  sin.  They  that 
desire  to  he  rich — whose  wills  are  set  on  that  as  an  end 
— fall  into  a  temptation  to  gain  wealth  unjustly,  and  a 
snare,  which  holds  them  in  captivity  to  evil. 

Ver.  10.  A  root  of  all  kinds  of  evil. — Though  covet- 
ousness  is  more  prolific  of  evils  than  most  sins,  it  is  not, 
as  A.  V.  asserts,  "  the  I'oot  of  all  evil,"  and  the  apostle 
did  not  state  that  it  was.  Have  pierced  themselves 
through  (see  Luke  ii.  35)  with  many  sorrows,  anxieties, 
disappointments,  and  pangs  of  conscience. 

Ver.  1 1 .  Again  Paul  turns  to  Timothy.  But  thou,  0 
man  of  God. — The  title  would  remind  him  that  he  was 
set  for  the  defence  of  the  faith,  as  truly  as  one  of  the  old 
prophets,  who  were  pre-eminent  for  their  freedom  from 
luxury  and  from  covetousness.  And  follow  after. — We 
avoid  evil  by  following  good  (Rom.  xii.  2  i ).  The  strong 
man  armed  can  only  be  driven  out  by  one  stronger  than 
he  (Luke  xi.  22).  Righteousness  =  integrity.  Godliness  = 
the  tendency  of  life  towards  God.  Faith  and  love — the 
primal  virtues  of  a  Christian.  Patience — which  conquers 
all  that  frets  and  disturbs  the  soul.      Meekness — which 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  29 

does  not  permit  the  wrong-doing  of  others  to  embitter 
the  heart. 

Ver.  1 2.  Fight  the  good  fight — a  familiar  figure  in  Paul's 
writings  (i.  18;  2  Tim.  iv.  7;  Ephesians  vi.  10—17) — 
of  faith,  not  only  on  behalf  of  the  faith,  but  with  the 
strength  inspired  by  faith.  Lay  hold  on  the  life  eternal 
— as  an  athlete  lays  hold,  with  eagerness  and  vigour ; 
whereunto  thou  wast  called — a  fact  which  would  not  only 
inspire  him  to  effort,  but  would  cheer  him  with  the  cer- 
tainty of  winning,  because  God  Himself  had  proffered 
the  prize.  And  didst  confess. — The  reference  is  probably 
to  the  time  when  Timothy  was  solemnly  set  apart  to  his 
work. 

Ver.  13.  This  confession  reminds  the  apostle  of  that 
witnessed  by  Christ  Jesus  who  before,  i.e.  in  the  presence 
of,  Pontius  Pilate.  See  John  xviii.  33—37.  God  is 
described  as  He  who  quickeneth  all  things,  to  remind 
Timothy  that  life  and  death  were  in  His  hands,  and 
that  death  need  never  be  feared,  because  eternal  life  lay 
beyond  it. 

Ver.  14.  The  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ — was 
expected  with  eager  hope  by  the  apostles.  Though  the 
horizon  of  the  Church  has  been  enlarging  with  her 
advance  through  the  ages,  yet  the  coming  of  Christ  is 
still  her  hope. 

Ver.  15.  He  shall  shew. — The  Father  will  give  that 
glorious  manifestation  of  His  Son,  in  His  own  time  and 
way.  This  mention  of  God  calls  forth  a  psalm  of  thanks- 
giving from  His  servant  who  adores  Him  as  the  blessed 
and  only  Potentate — Himself  the  source  of  highest  joy  to 
His  creatures,  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  in 
this  world  and  in  all  worlds. 

Ver.    16.    Who  only  hath  immortality — being  exalted 


30  EPISTLE  TO  TIMOTHY. 

far  above  all  transient  things ;  dwelling  in  light  unap- 
proachable (Psalm  civ.  2;  i  John  i  5).  Whom  no  man  hath 
seen,  nor  can  see — a  phrase  which  involves  the  idea  of  His 
incomprehensibility  (John  i.  1 8  ;  Coloss.  i.  i  5  ;  i  John 
iv.  1 2).  To  whom  be  honour  and  power  eternal — for 
to  Him  alone  these  by  right  belong.  Here  the  Epistle 
might  have  been  closed,  but  there  were  yet  one  or  two 
truths  too  important  to  be  left  untouched. 

Ver.  17.  Having  alluded  to  those  who  were  seeking 
wealth,  the  apostle  has  a  message  for  those  who  possessed 
it.  Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this  present  world — ■ 
though  they  might  also  be  rich  towards  God.  In  order 
to  be  so  they  needed  this  exhortation — that  they  be  not 
high-minded  (Jer.  ix.  23);  who  giveth  us  richly  all  things; 
so  that  we  have  no  occasion  for  boastfulness,  as  though 
our  own  skill,  or  industry,  had  won  them  for  us.  They 
are  the  gifts  of  our  Father's  love,  to  enjoy,  but  not  to 
rest  our  hopes  in. 

Ver.  1 8.  The  right  way  of  using  wealth  is  here  set 
forth.  To  do  good  is  to  promote  the  happiness  of  others 
— to  be  rich  in  good  works  requires  a  rich  man  to  under- 
take what  he  might  prefer  leaving  to  others  who  are  in 
a  different  social  position.  Those  ready  to  distribute  are 
free  and  generous  in  their  gifts,  and  those  willing  to 
communicate  gladly  share  with  others  what  God  has  be- 
stowed on  them. 

Ver.  19.  This  will  promote  the  eternal  interests  of 
God's  faithful  servants.  It  is  true  that  eternal  life  is 
the  gift  of  God,  and  cannot  be  won  by  any  meritorious 
works  on  our  part ;  but  the  degree  of  its  blessedness 
will  be  affected  by  everything  which  enlarges  and  en- 
nobles life  here.  If  indeed  a  man  is  charitable  for  the 
sake  of  getting  recompense  hereafter,  he  must  fail  in  his 


EXPOSITORY   NOTES.  3 1 

aim,  because  his  selfish  motive  vitiates  his  charity  and 
makes  it  worthless.  But  love  grows  by  use,  and  growth 
is  not  interrupted  by  death.      (Compare  Luke  xvi.  9.) 

Ver.  20.  Again  Paul  sums  up  his  letter  with  an 
earnest  appeal.  That  which  is  committed  unto  thee — 
the  Gospel  of  Christ  Jesus,  as  opposed  to  the  profane 
babblings  already  referred  to ;  the  knowledge  which  is 
falsely  so-called,  which  soon  became  more  distinctly, 
but  more  erroneously,  called  "  the  knowledge,"  in  the 
"  Gnostic  "  heresy. 

Ver.  2  I .  Some  professing — to  seek  salvation  in  know- 
ledge, lose  that  which  can  only  come  through  faith. 


SERMONETTES  ON  FIRST  CHAPTER. 


00 


THE  APOSTLE'S  CLAIM  TO  AUTHORITY. 
(I  Tim,  I  I.) 

The  beginning  of  this  Epistle  is  so  formal  and  solemn 
that  it  is  evidently  intended  to  give  a  tone  of  authority 
to  all  that  follows.  If  Paul  had  merely  wished  to  express 
his  affection  for  his  "  own  son  in  the  faith,"  or  had  in- 
tended giving  him  judicious  advice  which  would  have 
been  important  for  himself  alone,  he  would  not  have 
begun  by  calling  attention  to  a  fact  which  Timothy 
already  knew,  that  he  was  an  "  apostle  "  who  had  been 
summoned  to  service  by  a  call  that  was  divine.  He 
begins  by  describing — 

I.  His  Oi-tice  as  being  that  of  "an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ."  He  often  laid  stress  upon  his  apostleship,  and 
not  without  good  reason,  for  if  it  had  not  been  recognised 
he  would  have  been  powerless  to  mould  the  Churches, 
which  by  God's  blessing  he  had  been  enabled  to  form. 
The  truth  of  the  Gospel  was  in  his  view  not  a  matter  of 
conjecture,  but  of  revelation.  It  did  not  vary  according 
to  the  prejudices  of  the  hearers,  or  the  imagination  of  the 
preachers,  but  it  was  an  authoritative  declaration  of  man's 
sinfulness,  of  divine  mercy,  of  an  accepted  atonement, 
of  an  actual  resurrection  ;   doctrines  and  facts  which  were 

4 


36  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

largely  outside  the  range  of  ordinary  observation  and 
experience.  The  historical  events  referred  to  were,  no 
doubt,  matters  of  testimony  ;  but  their  meaning  and  their 
effects  on  the  spiritual  life  of  believers,  and  on  the  future 
destiny  of  the  world,  were  made  known  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  chosen  men  who  were  empowered  and  commis- 
sioned to  bear  witness  to  others.  Such  authority  as  the 
apostles  had  was  based  on  their  personal  intercourse  with 
the  Lord  Jesus,  which  in  the  case  of  Paul  was  given  after 
His  resurrection  from  the  dead.  He  had  seen  the  Lord, 
spoken  to  Him,  received  teaching  and  authority  from 
Him,  and  regarded  himself  as  being,  and  boldly  claimed 
to  be,  His  delegate,  or  ambassador,  appointed  to  speak  in 
His  name.  "  He  that  receiveth  you,  receiveth  Me,"  said  our 
Lord,  and  it  was  with  firm  though  humble  confidence  in 
this  assurance  that  the  apostles  spoke  and  wrote. 

No  doubt  there  was  something  unique  about  the  apos- 
tolate — so  that  no  Christians  can  fairly  claim  to  have 
succeeded  the  apostles  in  their  peculiar  oflSce,  which  was 
essential  to  the  Church  before  the  Gospels  and  Epistles  had 
been  collected.  But  there  is  still  an  authority  legitimately 
belonging  to  all  who  have  tasted,  handled,  and  felt  of  the 
good  Word  of  Life ;  which  enables  them  to  speak  with 
confidence,  and  to  claim  boldly  the  attention  and  belief 
of  their  fellow-men.  Communion  with  God,  for  example, 
is,  in  its  own  sphere,  as  much  a  reality  as  the  operation 
of  any  natural  force,  whose  effects  we  may  trace  upon 
visible  things.  God  draws  the  soul  of  the  believer  near 
to  Himself,  and  keeps  it  near  as  truly  as  the  sun,  by  the 
force   of  gravitation,  keeps   the   earth  from   flying  into 


THE    APOSTLES    CLAIM    TO    AUTHORITY.  37 

space,  and  losing  itself  in  the  awful  void.  With  as  much 
certainty  and  confidence  as  a  man  can  say,  "I  have 
warmed  myself  at  the  lire,"  the  Christian  may  say,  "  Truly 
our  fellowship  is  with  the  Father;  and  this  is  our  testi- 
mony concerning  Him,  God  is  light  and  God  is  love." 

Apostles  are  still  wanted  by  the  world,  and  Christians 
ought  not  to  speak  either  with  faltering  voice  or  with 
apologetic  tone.  The  confidence  of  the  Church  must  be 
strengthened  before  the  world  will  submit  to  its  teaching. 
The  whole  tone  of  society  in  the  present  day,  the  atmos- 
phere we  are  all  breathing,  imperceptible  as  it  is,  tends 
to  weaken  the  vigour  of  our  confidence  in  the  certitude 
of  things  believed.  Doubtless  it  affects  us  in  different 
degrees  according  to  our  tendency  either  to  intellectual 
pi"ide  or  to  affectionate  trust  (for  Thomas  as  well  as 
John  is  still  found  among  the  disciples),  but  it  influ- 
ences us  all  more  or  less.  In  Colorado  there  grows  a  shrub 
called  popularly  the  Poison  Oak,  which  is  regarded  with 
horror  by  the  inhabitants.  Some  people  are  completely 
prostrated  by  merely  breathing  near  it,  and  a  scratch 
from  one  of  its  prickly  leaves  will  produce  boils  and 
sores  which  they  find  extremely  difficult  to  cure ;  though 
others,  curiously  enough,  seem  uninjured  by  it:  just  as 
I  have  known  some  stricken  down  by  erysipelas  who  have 
merely  sat  in  a  room  where  arnica  and  water  stood  un- 
perceived  in  a  saucer,  while  others  may  freely  apply  it 
as  a  healing  lotion.  We  do  not  know  why  the  virus 
is  harmful  to  one  and  harmless  to  another,  and  none 
of  our  scientists  are  able  to  explain  the  secret,  or  to 
foretell,   without    experiment,   who   will    be   harmed    and 


38  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

who  will  not.  But  the  fact  is  unquestionable ;  and  in 
the  higher  sphere  the  phenomenon  repeats  itself  in  tlie 
observed  influence  of  a  sceptical  tone  in  society,  which 
leaves  one  unscathed  but  prostrates  another  under  the 
bane  of  infidelity.  Yet  out  of  this  good  will  come, 
however  little  we  foresee  it,  just  as  from  the  fatal  poison 
oak  is  gained  the  rhus  toxicodendron  which,  used  aright, 
has  cured  many  a  hurt  and  sprain.  Watching  against 
the  insidious  influence  of  unbelief,  let  us  hold  fast  our 
confidence,  as  the  apostles  did  who  dared  to  speak  with 
authority,  and  to  this  end  let  us  put  up  their  prayer, 
"  Lord,  increase  our  faith." 

II.  St.  Paul  refers  here  not  only  to  his  office  as  "  an 
apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,"  but  also  to  the  basis  on  which 
HIS  APPOINTMENT  RESTED — namely,  "  the  commandment 
of  God  our  Saviour." 

This  reference  may  be  to  the  well-known  incident 
which  occurred  in  Antioch,  when  the  Christians  were 
assembled  for  fasting  and  prayer,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
said  (probably  through  a  conviction  overwhelmingly  felt 
by  them  all),  "  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul,  for  the 
work  whereunto  I  have  called  them.  And  when  they 
had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  upon  them, 
they  sent  them  away ; "  and  thus  began  Paul's  first 
missionary  journey.  But  this  special  call  was  dependent 
upon  an  earlier  event  which  occurred  in  Damascus,  when 
the  Lord  said  to  Ananias  respecting  Saul,  "  He  is  a  chosen 
vessel  unto  Me,  to  bear  My  name  before  the  Gentiles,  and 
kings,  and  the  children  of  Israel." 

Nothing  could  give  a  man  more  courage  than  belief 


THE   APOSTLES   CLAIM    TO    AUTHORITY.  39 

in  such  a  divine  call.  It  sustained  that  noble  hero, 
General  Gordon,  amidst  difficulties  and  perils  which  made 
his  life  an  epic  poem ;  indeed,  in  all  ages  the  men 
who  have  had  that  belief  have  dared  and  done  the 
mightiest  deeds.  Turn  over  the  pages  of  history  and 
you  will  see  that  the  invincible  Ironsides — the  daunt- 
less pilgrim  founders  of  the  new  world — the  noblest 
evangelists  and  fathers  of  the  early  Churches,  were  all 
victorious  because  each  said  to  himself,  "  I  am  here  by 
the  commandment  of  God  our  Saviour,  and  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  which  is  our  hope."  And  going  back  farther  still 
in  Church  history,  we  see  Jeremiah  standing  amidst  his 
persecutors  like  a  brazen  wall  and  a  defenced  city ; 
Daniel  defying  the  wrath  of  the  king,  without  a  sign 
of  braggadocio,  or  of  any  seeming  consciousness  of  his 
nobility ;  and  Elijah  opposing  the  court,  the  hierarchy, 
and  the  fanatical  people — without  a  tremor,  because  he 
looked  beyond  them  all,  and  spoke  of  "the  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  before  whom  I  stand."  In  order  that  this 
conviction  may  be  ours  we  must  not  run  before  we  are 
sent  J  we  must  never  throw  ourselves  into  work  without 
prayer ;  we  must  carry  out  our  plans  with  a  prayerful 
belief  that  they  are  God's,  and  that  if  they  are  not  we 
should  willingly  see  them  broken  into  fragments.  If  we 
take  up  work  which  is  given  to  us  of  God,  being  revealed 
to  us  as  ours  because  it  is  near,  suited  to  our  capacity, 
responsive  to  desires  kindled  by  prayer,  and  necessary 
to  be  done,  we  shall  have  strength  for  its  duties,  counsel 
amid  its  perplexities,  and  success  far  beyond  our  expec- 
tation and  desert. 


40  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

III.  Here  we  may  encourage  ourselves,  as  Paul  did,  by 
remembering  the  giver  of  this  office  and  work.  The 
expression  "  God,  our  Saviour  "  is  frequent  in  the  pas- 
toral Epistles,  but  is  only  met  with  elsewhere  in  Jude's 
doxology,  and  in  Mary's  Magnificat.  Probably  Paul 
used  it  here  with  a  special  view  to  certain  false  teaching 
which  was  springing  up  in  the  Christian  Church  at  this 
period.  Presumptuous  and  self-willed  men  were  begin- 
ning to  regard  Christianity  (as  some  regard  it  now)  as 
being  only  a  higher  form  of  moral  instruction  and  of 
spiritual  discipline  than  was  to  be  met  with  in  the  Pagan 
and  Jewish  religions,  or  in  the  philosophical  schools. 
Here  they  were  reminded  that  men  want  "  salvation  "  as 
well  as  instruction,  and  that  this  salvation  is  of  God  and 
not  of  man ;  that  the  mode  of  pardon  is  divinely  pro- 
vided ;  and  that  redemption  from  iniquity,  and  finally 
from  mortality,  finds  its  source  in  the  love  and  power  of 
our  Divine  Father. 

Equally  suggestive  is  the  phrase,  "the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  our  hope;  "  reminding  us,  as  it  does,  not  only  that 
the  reception  of  Christ  into  the  heart  inspires  us  with 
hope  of  blessing,  but  also  that  all  that  is  hoped  for  is  in- 
dissolubly  linked  with  Christ  Himself.  It  is  not  our  own 
desert ;  it  is  not  any  Church  organisation  or  ordinance ; 
it  is  not  any  creed,  which  expresses  human  conceptions 
of  truth  ;  still  less  is  it  any  fellow-man ;  but  it  is  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  us  and  rose  again,  who 
is  our  hope. 

Thus  we  are  brought,  at  the  very  beginning  of  this 
Epistle,  to  recognise  our  Lord  as  coequal  with  the  Father 


THE   APOSTLES   CLAIM   TO   AUTHORITY.  4I 

in  the  bestowal  of  divine  and  spiritual  gifts.  He  is  the 
hope  of  the  Church.  We  may  fear  lest  the  stream  dry 
up  and  leave  us  thirsty ;  but  then  we  think  of  the  rains 
which  feed  its  sources,  and  when  we  are  fearful  lest  the 
clouds  should  fail,  we  remember  the  limitless  ocean 
whence  they  are  fed,  and  in  its  exhaustlessness  we  find 
rest  to  our  souls.  Out  of  His  fulness,  which  ia  infinite, 
have  we  all  received,  grace  for  grace. 


(      42      ) 


n. 

THE  RELATIONS  OF  PAUL  AND  TIMOTHY. 

(I  Tim.  i.  2.) 

Although  this  Epistle  was  an  authoritative  utterance  to 
be  implicitly  obeyed,  it  was  characterised  by  the  graceful 
and  loving  freedom  which  might  be  expected  in  a  letter 
to  a  friend  so  familiar  and  so  beloved  as  Timothy. 

This  young  evangelist  was  now  at  Ephesus,  carrying 
on,  amidst  many  difficulties,  the  work  which  the  great 
Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  had  begun,  but  was  no  longer 
able  personally  to  carry  on.  Tares  sown  by  the  enemy 
amidst  the  wheat  were  beginning  to  appear  on  eveiy 
side,  threatening  to  choke  the  growing  life  of  the  Church 
and  to  spoil  the  expected  harvest.  Hence  the  work 
Timothy  had  to  do  was  one  of  peculiar  difficulty  and 
delicacy. 

He  not  only  had  to  run  great  risk  from  the  hostility 
of  the  fanatical  population  of  Ephesus,  which  was  notorious 
for  its  idolatry  and  profligacy,  and  proud  of  being  the 
centre  of  the  worship  of  Diana,  but  within  the  Church 
he  had  to  face  many  who  by  false  doctrine,  and  others 
who  by  immoral  conduct,  threatened  its  ruin.  And, 
since   treachery  within   is    always  more  dangerous  than 


THE    RELATIONS    OF    PAUL    AND    TIMOTHY.         43 

hostility  without,  it  was  against  this  that  Timothy  was 
armed  by  the  authority  and  counsel  conveyed  by  our 
Epistle.  He  needed  the  authority  it  gave  him  (coming 
as  it  did  from  the  founder  of  the  Ephesian  Church — the 
leading  teacher  of  the  Gentile  Christians),  for  the  evan- 
gelist was  but  young,  and  lived  in  an  age  when  youth 
was  less  appreciated  than  it  is  now,  and  he  was  opposed 
by  headstrong  and  able  men,  who  were  ready  at  one  time 
to  despise  him,  at  another  to  try  and  drive  him  from  his 
post.  And  the  advice  hereby  given  was  invaluable  to 
him,  for  he  had  few  Christians  to  consult,  if  any ;  and  a 
sense  of  loneliness  and  despondency  is  apt  to  assert  itself 
when  one  has  reason  to  say  with  Elijah,  "  I,  even  I  only, 
am  left."  To  Timothy  this  feeling  was  peculiarly  natural, 
for  he  was  of  a  meek,  rather  than  of  an  aggressive  temper; 
amiable  rather  than  authoritative;  and  far  more  accustomed 
to  follow  another's  lead  than  to  hew  out  a  path  for  himself 
and  for  others.  From  the  reading  of  this  Epistle  he  would 
rise  refreshed  and  encouraged,  for  he  knew  that  these  were 
the  words  of  one  who  was  not  only  beloved  and  trusted 
as  a  father,  but  who  was  commissioned  of  God  to  make 
known  the  Divine  will. 

Hence  Paul  salutes  him  as  his  "  own  son  in  the  faith," 
or,  as  the  Revised  Version  more  correctly  renders  it — 
"  my  true  child  in  the  faith,"  The  meaning  is  this — 
Timothy  might  have  been  a  genuine  child  of  the  kingdom 
though  he  had  been  brought  into  it  by  some  one  else 
than  Paul,  but  he  was  Paul's  "true  child."  The  phrase 
was  intended  to  assert  explicitly  that  this  young  evan- 
gelist was  one  of  the  apostle's  own  converts ;  and  grown 


44  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

man  though  lie  now  was,  the  relation  between  them  was 
so  peculiarly  tender,  and  their  intimacy  had  been  so 
great,  that  Paul  writes  as  a  father  would  to  his  own 
son. 

To  understand  this  relationship  think  first  of — 
I.  Timothy's  Conversion. — He  had  been  prayerfully 
taught  in  the  Jewish  faith  by  his  mother  and  grand- 
mother, and  was  therefore,  with  them,  prepared  to  receive 
the  Gospel.  At  last  he  heard  it.  Two  strangers  entered 
Lystra,  one  majestic  in  presence,  the  other  mighty  in 
speech.  They  were  Jews,  but  they  held  that  Messiah  had 
already  come,  and  they  preached  of  Jesus — of  His  miracles 
and  words  ;  of  His  cross  and  passion;  and,  strangest  of  all, 
of  His  resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  ascension  to  God's 
right  hand.  The  seed  of  the  kingdom  fell  into  good  soil, 
and  it  sprang  up  and  brought  forth  fruit,  for  Timothy  had 
the  "  honest  and  good  heart "  of  which  the  Lord  spoke. 
And  then  more  startling  events  occurred.  A  cripple  was 
healed  in  the  name  of  Jesus ;  the  whole  town  was  in 
an  uproar  of  excitement,  and  the  apostles  could  scarcely 
keep  back  the  priests  and  the  people  from  worshipping 
them  as  Jupiter  and  Mercurius.  They  preached  not 
themselves,  but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord.  Then,  with  one 
of  those  strange  transitions,  so  frequent  with  a  fanatical 
Eastern  people,  adoration  was  changed  into  attack,  and 
there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  lad  Timothy 
saw  the  brutal  assault  on  Paul,  when  he  was  stoned 
and  left  for  dead  outside  the  city  walls.  At  his  im- 
pressionable age,  such  a  spectacle  of  noble  heroism  and 
of  undeserved  cruelty,  would  set  the  heart  of  the  young 


THE    RELATIONS    OF    PAUL  AND    TIMOTHY.         45 

disciple  on  fire,  and  from  that  moment  the  two  were  knit 
together  in  an  indissoluble  bond.  No  wonder  Paul  wrote 
to  him  as  "  my  true  child  "  in  the  faith. 

II.  Timothy's  setting  apart  for  special  work  did 
not  take  place  until  seven  years  after  this.  God  does 
not  call  us  to  high  service  until  we  have  proved  our 
fidelity  in  what  is  lower.  Paul  departed  from  Lycaonia, 
leaving  at  least  one  pious  family  enriched  beyond  all  ex- 
pectation, eager  to  study  the  Scriptures  in  the  new  light 
received,  and  to  rejoice  in  Jesus  as  their  hope.  Then, 
as  opportunity  offered,  a  little  evangelistic  work  was  done 
in  the  district  by  the  young  convert,  so  that  when  Paul 
revisited  the  place  he  found  that  Timothy  had  grown  in 
knowledge  and  grace ;  in  fitness  for  service,  and  in  good 
repute  amongst  all  the  brethren.  "We  may  be  sure  that 
it  was  to  Timothy's  own  trembling  delight  that  he  was 
delegated  to  be  the  companion  and  fellow-worker  of  the 
great  apostle.  The  sacred  ambition  of  his  life  was  ful- 
filled. He  was  solemnly  set  apart  for  the  work  (for 
no  man  in  those  days  lightly  undertook  it),  and  by  the 
laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery  he  was  desig- 
nated as  one  on  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  rested. 

Now  and  then  we  get  a  glimpse  at  Timothy's  happy 
COMPANIONSHIP  with  Paul,  which  was  never  afterwards 
broken  for  any  length  of  time,  and  which  was  the  more 
remarkable  because  of  the  difference  between  the  ages  of 
the  two  men.  But  it  is  good  for  the  aged  to  keep  the 
heart  young  by  their  association  with  youth ;  and  it  is 
even  better  for  those  who  are  in  the  spring-time  of  their 
life  to  yield  reverence  and  love,  and  considerate  kindness, 


46  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

to  those  who  are  older  and  more  experienced  than  them- 
selves :  indeed  it  is  an  ill  sign  when  there  is  resentment 
of  home  authority,  repudiation  of  responsibility  to  the 
aged,  and  a  wish  to  have  only  the  companionship  of 
those  who  live  for  the  pleasures  of  this  life.  Let  youth 
and  experience  walk  hand  in  hand,  that  we  may  keep  in 
our  hearts,  even  amid  advancing  years,  the  spring  of 
immortal  youth. 

"  They  err  who  measure  life  by  years, 
With  false  and  foolish  tongue  ; 
Some  hearts  grow  old  before  their  life, 
Others  are  always  young." 

Concliision. — Those  of  us  who,  like  Timothy,  are  teachers 
of  others,  may  learn  from  the  reception  of  this  letter  that 
we  need  continuous  instruction  in  order  to  accomplish 
our  ministry.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  should  begin 
our  work  with  memories  stored  with  truths,  and  with 
hearts  consecrated  to  the  Master's  service.  New  circum- 
stances, and  growing  responsibilities,  necessitate  what 
Timothy  received — new  instructions ;  and  it  is  our  privi- 
lege to  go  to  the  written  Word,  and  into  the  presence  of 
the  Great  Teacher  Himself.  We  may  have  in  our  mea- 
sure the  experience  of  Moses  who,  on  the  mount  of  com- 
munion with  God,  received  not  only  the  moral  law  but 
also  special  directions  about  the  details  of  his  work. 
Therefore  when  he  came  down  amongst  the  people  he 
remembered  the  command — "  See  that  thou  make  all 
things  after  the  pattern  showed  thee  on  the  mount."  Our 
perplexities  about  Christian  doctrine,  our  difficulties  in 


THE   RELATIONS  OP  PAUL   AND   TIMOTHY.        47 

dealing  with  those  who  have  drifted  away  from  the  truth, 
our  questionings  as  to  whether  we  should  work  here  or 
there,  whether  we  should  do  this  or  that,  we  may  take, 
indeed  we  must  take,  into  the  light  of  God's  presence. 
The  more  we  lead  men  the  more  we  ourselves  must  be 
led  of  God. 


(      48      ) 


III. 

A  CHRISTIAN  SALUTATION. 
(I  Tim.  i.  2.) 

The  salutation  whicli  Paul  gives  to  his  own  son  in 
the  faith  is  an  exquisite  example  of  \\hat  a  Christian 
greeting  should  be.  It  is  no  idle  compliment,  but  an 
earnest  prayer.  It  expresses  loving  wislies,  not  for  out- 
ward and  transient  blessings,  but  for  those  which  are 
inward  and  abiding.  The  fellow-Christian  who  helps  us 
thus  towards  God  does  more  for  us  than  he  who  raises  us 
to  fortune.  His  intercessions  with  God  are  of  more  value 
than  introductions  to  men. 

I.  The  Manifestation  of  Divine  Love  desired  on 
Timothy's  behalf  is  threefold,  consisting  of  "  grace,  mercy, 
and  peace,"  for  the  sympathetic  mind  of  Paul  analysed 
and  displayed  it,  much  as  a  prism  will  catch  a  ray  of 
sunshine,  and  reveal  more  clearly  the  wonderful  beauty 
that  is  latent  in  it. 

I .  Grace  is  the  free  favour  of  God,  pouring  itself  forth 
upon  the  soul  which  is  yearning  for  it,  and  filling  it  with 
gladness  and  praise.  The  conscious  enjoyment  of  this  is 
the  essence  of  heaven,  the  world  in  which,  more  fully 
than  is  possible  on  earth,  the  saints  walk  all  day  in  the 


A    CHRISTIAN    SALUTATION.  49 

light  of  God's  countenance  ;  and  it  is  only  because  earth- 
born  clouds  of  doubt  and  sin  come  between  us  and  Him, 
that  this  is  not  ours  already  in  all  its  blessedness.  So 
that  a  prayer  for  God's  "  grace  "  to  be  with  us  is  really  a 
prayer  that  our  sins  and  doubts  may  be  dispersed ;  for  as 
with  nature's  sunlight,  it  is  not  any  alteration  in  the  sun, 
but  a  change  in  the  earth's  atmosphere,  or  in  the  earth's 
attitude  towards  the  sun,  that  brings  brightness  in  the 
place  of  gloom,  daylight  in  the  stead  of  darkness. 

2.  The  association  of  the  idea  of  mercy  with  grace  is 
striking,  and  is  peculiar  to  these  Epistles  to  Timothy  and 
to  the  Second  Epistle  of  John.  As  it  occurs  in  no  other 
Pauline  letters,  some  critics  have  used  its  occurrence  here 
as  an  argument  against  Paul's  authorship,  forgetting  that 
such  a  change  in  his  ordinary  form  of  salutation  would 
be  about  the  last  thing  any  forger  would  be  likely  to 
make,  for  the  deviation  would  have  been  as  uncalled  for 
as  it  would  have  been  obvious.  But  it  was  characteristic 
of  Paul,  who  was  profoundly  conscious  of  his  own  need 
of  "  mercy,"  to  pray  for  it  on  behalf  of  his  comrade,  who 
was  engaged  in  similar  work.  It  is  not  to  the  erring 
Galatians  nor  to  the  backsliding  Corinthians,  but  to  this 
honoured  servant  of  the  Christian  Church,  that  he  prays 
for  God's  "  mercy "  to  be  evermore  extended ;  for  from 
his  own  experience  he  knew  how  much  that  mercy  is 
needed  by  those  who  are  sensible  that  their  character 
comes  far  short  of  their  ideal,  and  that  their  work  for 
Christ  is  marred  by  their  faults  and  follies.  We  may 
occupy  the  highest  position  in  the  Church,  yet  instead  of 
being  thereby  exalted  above  the  need  of  mercy,  we  must 


50  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

the  more  humbly  cast  ourselves  upon  it.  Nothing  but 
the  realisation  of  the  Divine  forbearance  will  embolden 
us  to  continue  in  spiritual  service,  which  is  awful  in  its 
responsibilities,  and  likely  to  be  ill  done  by  us  through 
our  sinfulness  and  ignorance.  The  noblest  saint  falls 
back  in  life  and  death  on  Divine  mercy  as  his  one  and 
only  hope. 

3.  Peace  flows  from  the  "grace"  and  "mercy"  of  God. 
It  is  a  secise  of  reconciliation  with  Him — of  rest  in  Him, 
which  will  give  calmness  in  hours  of  trouble  and  peril, 
and  will  spread  a  sacred  and  happy  influence  over  those 
around  us.  He  whose  heart  is  consciously  right  with 
God,  should  be  in  his  home  and  in  his  business  a  restful, 
not  a  restless  centre.  As  good  Bishop  Patrick  says — 
"  Peace  is  the  proper  result  of  the  Christian  temper.  It 
is  the  great  kindness  which  our  religion  doth  us,  that  it 
brings  us  to  a  settledness  of  mind  and  a  consistency 
within  ourselves." 

II.  The  Source  of  these  blessings  is  pointed  out 
in  the  assurance  that  they  flow  from  "  God  our  Father 
and  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

I .  If  God  is  our  father  we  may  surely  expect  such  bless- 
ings, for  they  are  just  what  in  our  lower  sphere  we  fathers 
(whose  fatherhood  is  but  a  broken  reflection  of  His)  would 
gladly  give  our  children.  We  are  not  happy  unless  they 
are  living  in  our  "  favour  ;  "  we  are  eager  to  show  them 
"  mercy  "  directly  and  whenever  they  come  to  us  in  peni- 
tential grief;  and  if  there  is  one  blessing  we  desire  for 
them  above  others,  it  is  that  their  minds  may  be  at 
"  peace."     God  is  our  Father,   and  therefore  He  is  not 


A    CHRISTIAN    SALUTATION.  5  I 

unconcerned  about  us.  He  never  leaves  us,  as  we  too 
often  leave  the  waifs  and  strays,  who  are  miserable  and 
hopeless  in  our  streets. 

2.  But  grace,  mercy,  and  peace  can  only  come  to  us  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  because  we  are  undeserving  and  sin- 
ful. They  are  like  the  cool  water  at  the  bottom  of  the  well ; 
but  One  stronger  than  we  must  roll  away  the  stone,  as 
Jacob  did,  before  the  thirsty  can  drink.  Never  forget  the 
association  here  and  elsewhere  of  the  Divine  Son  with  the 
Divine  Father,  as  the  coequal  source  of  the  blessings 
which  come  from  God  alone.  And  if  you  want  to  con- 
firm your  faith  in  that  doctrine,  listen  to  His  own  words 
— "  All  things  are  delivered  unto  Me  of  my  Father." 
And  again — "  All  things  that  the  Father  hath  are  mine.'' 
And  once  more — "  For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  Himself, 
so  hath  He  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  Himself." 
"  Grace,  mercy,  and  peace  be  yours  from  God  our  Father 
and  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

5 


(       52       ) 


IV. 

TIMOTHY'S    CHARGE. 
(I  Tim.  i.  3,  4.) 

Our  translators  have  supplied  two  words  at  the  close  of 
the  fourth  verse,  in  order  to  complete  the  sentence  which 
the  apostle  left  unfinished  ;  but  it  would  have  been  better 
had  they  inserted  them  earlier,  for  the  meaning  is  more 
clear  if  we  read,  "  As  I  besought  thee  to  abide  still  at 
Ephesus  when  I  went  into  Macedonia,  so  I  beseech  thee 
now  to  remain  there."  It  is  an  example  of  the  way  in 
which  Paul's  living  thoughts  leaped  ahead  of  the  words 
which  might  have  clothed  them. 

I.  The  Period  to  which  he  refers  in  the  phrase, 
"  when  I  went  into  Macedonia,"  cannot  be  certainly 
fixed.  There  was  indeed  one  occasion  mentioned  in  Acts 
XX.  I,  when,  in  consequence  of  the  peril  in  which  he  was 
placed  through  the  uproar  raised  by  Demetrius,  he  did  leave 
Ephesus  for  Macedonia ;  but  in  the  chapter  preceding  that 
narrative  we  read  that  he  had  already  sent  Timothy  and 
Erastus  thither  ;  and  we  know  that  he  joined  them  there, 
because  in  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  written 
thence,  he  mentions  Timothy  as  being  then  with  him.     It 


TIMOTHY  S    CHARGE.  5  3 

seems  indeed  impossible  to  assign  Timothy's  special  mission 
in  Ephesus  to  any  period  covered  by  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles ;  and  we  are  certainly  warranted  in  believing 
that  after  Paul's  first  imprisonment  (which  probably  ended 
in  acquittal  or  in  the  dropping  of  the  case  by  the  pro- 
secution) he  spent  several  years  in  apostolic  labour,  re- 
visiting among  other  churches  those  which  he  had  planted 
at  Crete  and  Ephesus,  leaving  Titus  in  the  former  and 
Timothy  in  the  latter.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that 
the  subscription  to  this  Epistle,  "  the  first  to  Timothy 
was  written  from  Laodicea,"  is  unauthorised  and  obviously 
incorrect. 

II.  The  Mode  of  Address  to  Timothy  demands  a 
word  or  two.  "  I  besought  thee " — ^not  I  commanded 
thee.  No  doubt  this  is  expressive  of  the  gentleness  and 
affection  with  which  Timothy  was  regarded,  but  it  is  also 
an  indication  of  the  kind  of  authority  which  was  exer- 
cised by  the  apostles  over  their  fellow-workers.  There 
was  nothing  dictatorial  about  it,  nothing  of  the  military 
discipline  which  is  so  popular  and  effective  in  an  aggres- 
sive section  of  the  Church  in  our  day.  Influence  then 
was  that  of  character ;  authority  was  the  outcome  of 
inspiration ;  and  even  the  chosen  twelve  were  better 
pleased  to  rule  by  love  than  fear.  It  must  be  admitted 
that  this  may  give  rise  to  abuses  and  perils.  If  in  a 
Church  there  arises  a  spirit  of  self-assertiveness ;  if  some 
Diotrephes,  loving  to  have  the  pre-eminence,  resolves  to 
oppose  everything  he  is  not  permitted  to  lead ;  if  there 
is  such  an  absence  of  self-sacrifice  that  none  but  the 
pleasant   work  will   be  undertaken; — then   the  Church 


54  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

will  be  discordant  and  its  beauty  and  power  will  vanish. 
It  is  only  "  where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is "  that 
there  can  be  the  safe  and  the  full  enjoyment  of 
liberty. 

III.  The  Purport  of  Paul's  entreaty  was  that  Timothy 
should  check  the  progress  of  false  doctrine  in  the  Ephe- 
sian  Church.  There  was  a  ferment  going  on  in  the 
minds  of  men  at  that  time,  such  as  usually  accompanies 
or  follows  a  great  religious  movement.  False  notions  of 
God,  and  of  His  law,  arising  from  an  imperfectly  under- 
stood Judaism,  combined  with  a  speculative  heathen 
philosophy,  were  threatening  to  destroy  the  simplicity 
of  the  Gospel.  These  became  more  clearly  revealed 
as  "  heresies "  in  the  next  two  centuries ;  but  already 
their  germs  were  at  work,  and  Paul  specially  refers 
here  to  "  fables  and  endless  genealogies,"  to  curious 
myths,  and  to  those  absurdly  complicated  calculations  of 
the  Rabbis  about  the  position  of  letters  in  the  sacred 
text,  and  the  exact  degree  of  value  which  might  be 
attached  to  certain  deeds  or  relations,  good  or  evil.  A 
sort  of  cabalistic  system  was  being  constituted  in  the 
Church,  by  an  incongruous  mixture  of  Jewish  fancies 
with  heathen  speculations,  and  this  threatened  disaster — 
just  as  the  ivy,  climbing  slowly  but  surely,  thrusts  in  a 
root  here  and  a  tendril  there,  till  the  once  strong  wall 
has  every  stone  loosened,  and  in  the  storm  it  falls. 

IV.  The  Reason  given  for  opposing  such  teaching 
is,  that  it  "  ministered  questions  rather  than  godly  edi- 
fying." The  Revised  Version  adopts  another  reading, 
and  rightly  so,  for  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  text  was 


TIMOTHYS    CHARGE.  5  5 

corrupted,  and  the  word  olKoSofitav — "  edifying,"  was 
substituted  by  some  copyist  for  olKovo/xlav — "  dispensa- 
tion." The  meaning  is,  that  these  questionings  did  not 
subserve  God's  "  dispensation " — His  specific  plan  for 
admission  to  His  kingdom,  His  method  of  salvation  un- 
folded in  the  Gospel ;  for  that  dispensation  consists  "  in 
faith."  And  as  a  matter  of  experience  we  know  that 
questions  which  merely  excite  the  fancy,  or  even  the 
intellect,  tend  to  make  the  objects  of  faith  distasteful. 
For  example,  a  course  of  sensational  novel  reading, 
which  peoples  the  mind  with  unrealities,  does  extrude 
earnest  thoughts  on  spiritual  realities.  Or  again,  a  man 
whose  mind,  whether  as  a  worker  in  business  or  as  a 
student  in  science,  is  perpetually  occupied  with  things 
visible,  may  almost  imperceptibly  lose  his  faith  in  things 
invisible,  the  existence  of  which  is  not  provable  by  the 
more  sensuous  processes  with  which  he  is  familiar. 
Or,  to  turn  to  Church  life.  Those  who  lay  stress  on 
ceremonies — believing  in  baptismal  regeneration,  and  in 
the  real  sacrifice  of  the  altar — weaken  the  faith  of  them- 
selves and  of  others  in  what  is  spiritual,  so  that  the 
Gospel  loses  moral  power  most  in  countries  where  cere- 
monialism is  ramj)ant.  And  this  which  is  true  of  the 
rites  of  the  Church  is  equally  true  of  its  organisations, 
and  we  have  constantly  to  be  on  our  guard  lest  the 
occupation  of  the  mind  with  the  details  of  Church  work 
should  divert  us  from  the  cultivation  of  personal  Chris- 
tian life. 

But  the  apostle  here  condemns  chiefly  the  unhealthy 
practice  of  giving  prominence  to  unimportant  questions, 


56  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

whether  it  be  in  the  sphere  of  philosophy  or  of  religion. 
Any  subject  which  leads  to  vain  conflict  and  barren  con- 
troversy, and  has  no  healthy  bearing  on  our  labours  as 
God's  servants,  should  not  be  allowed  to  usurp  too  much 
attention ;  for  we  may  know  all  the  subtleties  of  con- 
troversial theology,  and  may  be  familiar  with  the  last 
theory  of  scientific  research,  and  yet  fail  and  come  short 
of  the  glory  of  God.  When  a  settler  has  to  grow  his 
own  corn  to  provide  himself  with  daily  bread,  he  will  let 
speculation  on  the  strata  beneath  the  surface  wait  till  he 
has  found  time  to  sow  and  to  reap. 


(     57     ) 


V. 

THE  END  OF  THE  COMMANDMENT. 
(i  Tim  i.  5-7.) 

These  verses  are  occupied  with  a  description  of  what 
God's  dispensation  was  meant  to  produce,  and  indicate 
how  it  came  to  pass  that  many  failed  of  it.  "  The  com- 
mandment "  or  charge  which  Timothy  had  received  had 
this  as  its  end  or  purpose — the  promotion  of  "  love  out 
of  a  pure  heart,  and  of  a  good  conscience,  and  of  faith 
unfeigned."  By  love  is  meant  the  right  relation  of  the 
whole  nature  both  to  God  and  to  man  ;  for  love  to  man  is 
in  the  highest  sense  a  consequent  of  love  to  God. 

I.  Three  conditions  of  this  love  are  specified. 

I.  A  pure  heart. — This  is  essential  to  any  vision  of 
God.  Unless  we  are  purified  our  afiections  will  naturally 
fasten  upon  selfish  objects,  or  even  upon  those  which  are 
evil.  It  is  possible,  for  example,  to  be  so  absorbed  in 
one's  family  as  to  have  no  outgoing  of  sympathy  to  the 
needy  outside  it,  and  no  uplifting  of  desire  towards  Him 
who  deserves  to  be  loved  with  all  our  heart,  and  soul,  and 
strength.  Or  we  may  be  so  absorbed  in  ourselves  as  to 
resent  all  the  claims  for  help  and  service  which  ought  to 
be  joyfully  hailed.  Nay,  the  heart  may  be  so  impure 
that  love  is  none  other  than  lustj  and  then  that  which 


58  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY, 

ought  to  be  an  angel's  hand  raising  us  to  heaven,  •will 
become  the  devil's  hand  drawmno:  us  down  to  hell. 
"The  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God;"  and  of  heaven  we 
read,  "  Neither  shall  there  enter  into  it  anything  that 
defileth  nor  worketh  abomination."  "  Keep  thy  heart 
with  all  diligence,  for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life." 

2.  A  good  conscicTice  is  often  insisted  upon  in  Scripture 
as  one  of  the  inestimable  blessings  enjoyed  by  God's 
children.  Conscience  is  ihe  activity  of  consciousness 
towards  the  ethical  aspect  of  things.  It  is  a  faculty  of 
the  mind  which  reflects  on  actions  as  being  morally  evil 
or  good.  Conscience  may  be  defiled  till  it  is  useless  as  a 
mud-stained  mirror ;  it  may  be  hardened,  or,  to  use  this 
apostle's  phrase,  "  seared  as  with  a  hot  iron,"  so  as  to  be 
insensible  as  flesh  would  be  after  all  the  nerves  in  it  had 
been  destroyed — and  that  is  the  precursor  of  condem- 
nation. But  conscience  is  "  good "  if  it  is  healed  and 
purged  by  the  Saviour's  touch ;  if,  instead  of  condemning 
us,  it  gives  us  confidence  towards  God  ;  if  it  is  reliable 
and  unbiassed  in  its  decisions  on  all  questions  brought 
before  its  tribunal ;  and  if  it  not  only  directs  the  will,  but 
spurs  it  into  instant  activity.      Happy  is  he  who  can  say, 

"I  feel  within  me 
A  peace  above  all  earthly  dignities — 
A  still  and  quiet  conscience."  * 

^.   Faith   unfeigned    is    the    third    condition    of  God- 
accepted  love.      Though  mentioned  last,   "  faith  "  is  the 
germ  grace — the  seed  principle.      To  us  fallen  men  there 
is  no  way  to  a  "good  conscience"  and  a  "pure  heart" 
*  Shakespeare. 


THE  END    OF   THE    COMMANDMENT.  59 

but  that  of  "  faith  "  in  Jesus  Christ — that  faculty  which, 
laying  hold  of  Him  the  Mediator,  brings  us  into  fellowship 
with  God  and  all  unseen  realities.  But  such  faith  is  not 
a  lazy  assent  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  nor  is  it  a 
formal  profession  of  adherence  to  the  cause  of  Jesus  Christ; 
and  to  be  of  value  in  the  sight  of  the  Searcher  of  hearts 
it  must  be  "  faith  unfeigned,"  the  opposite  of  pretended 
belief  and  confidence  not  really  felt.  For  there  is  a  faith 
which  is  but  a  mask  of  unbelief,  like  the  painted  face  on 
the  Egyptian  mummy-case — hiding  coruption  !  May  God 
save  us  from  that  and  the  condemnation  which  follows  it. 
The  Apostle  now  turns  from  the  conditions  of  love  to — 
II.  Its  Counterfeits,  exhibited  in  those  who,  professing 
to  aim  at  it,  miss  their  mark  and  swerve  aside  to  "  vain 
janglings" — that  is,  to  empty  talking  and  disputation. 
Too  often  the  Church  has  had  members  who  have  been 
destitute  of  moral  and  spiritual  perceptivity,  but  have 
made  themselves  at  home  in  speculations  and  contro- 
versies. And  the  worst  tempers  are  to  be  found  among 
the  members  of  the  more  talkative  and  disputatious  sects. 
Those  who  object  to  prayerfully  toiling  up  the  ladder  of 
Christian  virtues  not  infrequently  come  to  grief  by  trust- 
ing to  their  pretentious  wings.  Paul  heartily  abhorred 
"  vain  babbling  " — talk  on  religious  subjects  which  was 
sometimes  made  a  substitute  for  holy  living ;  and  in  the 
Epistle  to  Titus,  as  well  as  here,  some  sharp  stern  words 
are  uttered  against  it.  He  was  probably  not  alluding  to 
the  Judaisers,  who  were  wont  to  lay  too  much  stress  on 
the  law,  for  he  could  not  justly  describe  them  thus, 
"  understanding  neither  what  they  say  nor  whereof  they 


60  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

affirm."  He  evidently  was  thinking  of  others  who  made 
use  of  genealogies,  and  traditions,  and  fanciful  allegorisings 
which  did  away  with,  or  at  least  put  out  of  sight,  the 
moral  element  in  the  Gospel.  St.  John,  writing  about 
this  same  district  at  a  later  period,  says,  in  allusion  to 
those  propagators  of  error — "  no  lie  is  of  the  truth  ;"  and 
to  show  how  the  moral  nature  became  deadened  by  such 
theories,  he  has  to  remind  his  readers  of  the  very  ABO 
of  the  Gospel,  saying,  "  Little  children,  let  no  man  deceive 
you  ;  he  that  doeth  righteousness  is  righteous,  even  as  He 
is  righteous."  And  similarly,  our  ascended  Lord,  looking 
upon  the  churches  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Ephesus,  says, 
"  I  know  the  blasphemy  of  them  which  say  they  are 
Jews  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan." 

False  teaching  is  not  to  bo  lightly  regarded  or  easily 
welcomed,  as  if  it  could  have  no  evil  effect  on  moral  and 
spiritual  life.  For  example,  the  philosophy  of  material- 
ism, which  represents  our  thoughts  and  afiections  as 
nothing  but  the  emanations  of  movements  in  our  physical 
bodies  and  brains,  is  ultimately  destructive  of  moral 
responsibility  and  of  belief  in  a  coming  immortality. 
"  Continue  thou  in  the  things  wherein  thou  hast  been 
taught."  Do  not  foolishly  give  up  the  faith  which  was 
associated  with  all  that  was  sacred  in  your  childhood. 
Remember  that  there  is  a  sphere  of  existence  outside  the 
range  of  your  senses,  beyond  the  proof  of  your  reason,  of 
which  you  know  nothing  unices  you  accept  the  glimpses 
given  of  it  in  this  Divine  Revelation.  Beware  lest,  like 
these  Ephesian  heretics,  you  swerve  from  the  faith,  having 
turned  aside  unto  vain  jangling. 


(     6i     ) 


VI. 

THE  PURPOSE  OF  THE  LAW. 

(i  Tim.  i.  8-11.) 

The  value  of  God's  gifts  largely  depends  upon  the  use 
we  make  of  them.  There  are  powers  within  our  reach 
which  may  with  equal  ease  destroy  our  welfare  or  increase 
it.  War,  for  example,  perverts  and  distorts  the  skill,  the 
strength,  and  the  courage  of  men,  so  that  they  prove 
destructive  of  the  results  of  industry  and  the  sanctity  of 
life.  It  is  one  of  the  tendencies  of  our  fallen  nature  thus 
to  misuse  Divine  gifts,  and  "  the  Gospel  of  the  blessed 
God  "  seeks  to  extirpate  it.  Every  reader  of  the  Epistles, 
every  student  of  Pharisaic  teaching,  and  every  one  who 
understands  the  work  of  the  Judaisers,  is  aware  that  even 
the  Mosaic  Law  was  grossly  abused.  Against  that  abuse 
our  Lord  and  His  disciples  so  steadfastly  set  themselves, 
that  they  were  falsely  charged  with  opposition  and  hostility 
to  the  law  itself;  and  it  was  one  of  the  main  purposes  of 
Paul's  teaching  to  set  that  attitude  of  theirs  in  its  proper 
light,  and  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans  very  distinctly  and 
clearly  does  so.  Jesus  Christ  Himself  declared  respecting 
the  law — "  I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil ; "  and 
by  the  example  He  set  before  the  Church,  by  the  love  He 


62  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

evoked,  and  by  the  spirit  He  gave,  He  made  the  law  more 
noble  and  far-reaching  than  it  ever  had  been  before.  But 
from  its  nature  it  was  powerless  to  justify  men,  though  it 
did  much  to  instruct  and  restrain  them.  It  could  not 
cleanse  the  conscience,  though  it  was  a  spur  to  it.  It 
was  like  the  pedagogue,  or  tutor,  who  in  Roman  society 
checked  the  wrongdoing  of  his  patron's  son,  warned  him 
against  evil  associations,  guarded  him  from  danger,  and 
conducted  him  to  the  gymnasium,  where  education  was 
given.  "  The  law,"  says  Paul,  "  was  our  pedagogue  to 
lead  us  to  Christ."  The  law  is  good  if  a  man  use  it  law- 
fully. The  apostle  next  endeavoured  to  explain  more 
fully  the  Purpose  of  the  Law,  and  his  explanation  may 
be  summed  up  under  three  heads : — 

I,  The  Law  was  not  meant  as  an  Inspiration. — 
"  The  law  is  not  made  for  a  righteous  man."  The  state- 
ment is  true,  whether  you  think  of  a  man  "  righteous " 
by  nature  or  by  gi'ace.  Those  edicts  and  prohibitions 
were  not  intended  for  one  who  was  eagerly  inclined  to 
obey  their  spirit.  Such  a  revelation  of  God's  will  would 
not  have  been  needed  if  Adam  had  continued  in  his 
righteousness,  for  things  forbidden  with  pains  and  penalties 
after  his  fall  were  not  at  first  attractive  to  him. 

If  you  walk  through  a  private  garden  with  the  children 
of  its  owner,  as  one  of  themselves,  you  do  not  see  anywhere 
the  unsightly  notice-boards,  which  are  necessary  in  a  place 
open  to  the  public,  asking  you  to  move  in  this  direction 
or  in  that,  and  to  avoid  trespassing  hither  or  thifcher. 
Amongst  the  children,  and  as  one  of  them,  you  are  con- 
sciously above  the  need  of  such  laws  as  those.      Restric- 


THE   PURPOSE   OF   THE    LAW.  63 

tions  and  warnings  are  always  meant  for  those  inclined 
to  break  them.  Another  example  might  be  drawn  from 
society.  The  laws  on  our  statute-books,  the  police  who 
tramp  through  our  streets,  the  vast  organisation  repre- 
sented by  prisons  and  courts,  by  judges  and  magistrates, 
would  no  longer  be  necessary,  and  would  never  have  been 
called  into  existence,  if  every  man  loved  his  neighbour 
even  as  himself.  It  is  those  who  are  disobedient  in 
nature  who  make  law  a  necessary  institution.  Similarly 
in  the  home.  When  your  first  child  comes  as  a  gleam 
of  sunshine  into  your  home,  you  parents  do  not  begin  to 
make  a  theoretical  code  of  restrictions ;  but  when  the 
children  grow  older,  and  there  are  conflicts  of  will  between 
them,  and  the  household  is  likely  to  be  disorderly  by  their 
thoughtlessness  and  faults,  you  begin  to  say,  ''  You  must 
not  do  this  or  that ;  it  is  to  be  from  this  time  forward 
forbidden."  But  as  the  years  roll  on  and  good  habits  are 
formed  by  the  young  people,  and  from  the  love  they  bear 
you  they  instinctively  know  what  you  wish  and  readily  do 
it,  even  these  wise  rules  practically  fall  into  desuetude. 
Because  they  are  ruled  by  a  right  spirit  they  are  set 
free  from  law.  Now  this,  in  simple  form,  is  what  Paul 
meant  by  his  frequent  allusions  to  what  the  law  was,  and 
was  not,  intended  to  do.  As  God's  free  children  "  we 
are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace."  "  The  law  is 
not  made  for  a  righteous  man,  but  for  the  lawless  and 
disobedient." 

This  leads  to  our  second  assertion,  namely,  that  the 
law  which  was  not  meant  for  an  inspiration  was — 

II.  Intended  for  the  Restraint  of  the  Disobedient. 


64  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

— A  lawless  man  is  everywhere  the  least  free.  Carried 
hither  and  thither  by  his  ungoverned  passions ;  swayed 
now  this  way,  now  that,  by  his  inexcusable  carelessness 
and  neglect,  he  nevertheless  finds  himself  perpetually 
clashing  against  a  will  mightier  than  his  own.  Some- 
times it  is  the  law  of  his  country  which  seizes  him  by  the 
throat  and  holds  him  in  restraint.  Sometimes  it  is  disease, 
the  direct  result  of  his  own  sin,  which  falls  like  a  curse 
upon  himself,  and  even  upon  his  children.  Sometimes  it 
is  conscience  which  protests  and  rebukes,  until  his  whole 
life  is  made  miserable.  And  these  are  but  premonitions 
of  what  is  coming  when  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth 
will  appear  to  give  every  man  according  to  his  works,  and 
the  thunders  of  outraged  law  will  supersede  the  gentle 
voice  of  Christ's  Gospel.  Paul  describes  some  of  these 
guilty  ones  in  the  9th  and  loth  verses.  He  speaks  first 
generally  of  the  "  lawless  and  disobedient  " — those  self- 
willed  spirits  who  spurn  authority  and  control,  whether  it 
be  of  man  or  of  God.  In  fact  the  two  forms  of  disobedi- 
ence are  usually  associated  in  one  and  the  same  person, 
and  the  defiance  of  authority  in  the  home  is  too  often  the 
prelude  to  a  life  of  practical  godlessness.  Depend  upon 
it,  he  who  refuses  to  recognise  a  higher  will  than  his  own 
in  childhood  is  beginning  the  course  which  may  end  in  the 
condemnation  of  the  devil. 

Roughly,  yet  forcibly,  the  apostle  sums  up  manifesta- 
tions of  lawlessness  under  the  first  and  second  tables  of 
the  law.  He  speaks  of  "the  ungodly  and  sinners"  who 
openly  set  at  defiance  the  chief  law,  which  teaches  us  to 
love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our  heart,  and  soul,  and 


THE    PURPOSE    OF   THE   LAW.  65 

strengtli :  men  who  never  have  a  sense  of  humbling  awe 
in  His  presence  and  put  no  trembling  trust  in  His  mercy. 
"  Unholy  and  profane,"  they  are  defiled  in  mind  and  con- 
temptuous of  spiritual  things.  To  them  nothing  is  pure 
and  nothing  sacred. 

Terrible  is  the  list  of  offences  against  human  relation- 
ships which  follows  ;  though  the  first  of  the  phrases  in  our 
version  is  at  once  too  strong  and  too  narrow.  "  Murderers 
of  fathers  "  should  be  "  smiters  of  fathers  and  smiters  of 
mothers."  The  allusion  may  be  to  such  crimes  in  the 
literal  sense  of  the  word,  of  which  now  and  again  we  are 
horrified  to  hear,  and  which  are  commonest  with  those 
who  are  under  the  influence  of  drink — the  cause  of  in- 
numerable crimes  !  Or  it  may  refer  with  equal  force  to 
those  who  smite  their  parents  with  the  tongue,  loading 
them  with  scorn  and  reproach,  instead  of  encircling  them 
with  considerate  love.  "  Cursed  be  he  that  setteth  light 
by  his  father  or  his  mother,  and  let  all  the  people  say 
Amen."  "  Manslayers  " — those  who,  by  their  exactions 
and  oppressions,  indirectly  destroy  the  lives  of  men — as 
well  as  murderers,  who  are  regarded  as  the  pariahs  of 
society.  "  Whoremongers  and  they  that  defile  themselves 
tvitJi  mankind,"  are  terms  which  are  meant  to  include  all 
transgressors  of  the  seventh  commandment,  a  law  which 
our  Lord  Jesus  so  broadened  out  in  its  application  that 
even  indulgence  in  lustful  thought  and  all  pandering  to 
evil  passions  in  amusements,  or  in  literature,  come  under 
the  cognisance  of  that  Divine  law,  and  will  receive  condign 
and  certain  punishment  hereafter,  however  much  such  sin 
succeeds  here   in    disguising  itself,   and   passing   without 


66  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

reproach  from  the  world.  "  Liars  and  perjured  persons  " 
are  forms  of  that  false  witness  against  one's  neighbour 
which  the  ninth  commandment  so  strongly  condemns  ;  and 
nothing  is  clearer  as  an  evidence  of  the  rule  of  Christ's 
spirit  than  the  transparent  truthfulness  of  character,  which 
wins  the  admiration  of  the  world,  and  suns  itself  in  the 
favour  of  God. 

This  list  is  formidable  enough,  and  the  fact  that  the 
apostle  does  not  confine  himself  to  the  phraseology  of  the 
Mosaic  decalogue,  is  a  sign  that  we  do  not  evade  the 
penalties  of  the  law  by  keeping  its  letter.  The  law  pro- 
claims God's  condemnation  of  all  vice,  whatever  the  forms 
it  takes.  And  to  make  this  still  more  evident,  Paul  adds 
that  if  there  he  any  other  sins  he  has  overlooked  (for  he 
does  not  profess  to  mention  them  all),  or  if  there  be  any 
vices  too  bad  to  mention,  or  any  not  existing  in  his  day 
which  might  afterwards  raise  their  serpent  heads,  the  law 
of  God  proclaimed  itself  the  foe  of  these  also.  It  is,  there- 
fore, with  a  lowly  acknowledgment  of  our  own  weakness, 
and  a  clear  perception  of  the  subtle  ramifications  of  sin, 
that  about  these  commands  we  pray,  "  Lord,  have  mercy 
upon  us,  and  write  all  these  Thy  laws  in  our  hearts,  we 
beseech  Thee." 

III.  The  apostle  asserts  that  the  purpose  of  the 

LAW  is  amongst  THE  THINGS  REVEALED  IN  THE  GoSPEL 
OF  THE  BLESSED  GoD. — The  "  sound  doctrine  "  he  men- 
tions is  the  teaching  of  our  Lord  and  His  apostles ; 
which,  as  the  phrase  denotes,  was  thoroughly  "  sound " 
or  wholesome,  especially  as  opposed  to  the  weak  and  dis- 
tempered   doctrines    propounded    by   the    false    teachera 


THE   PURPOSE   OF   THE   LAW.  67 

whom  Timothy  had  to  oppose.  Men  who  laid  great  stress 
on  abstinence  from  things  proper  enough  in  themselves 
were  too  often  careless  about  the  great  moralities  of  life ; 
and  those  who  were  busy  with  protitless  speculations  and 
controversies  were  by  no  means  high  types  of  Christian 
character.  Moral  perfection,  the  beauty  of  holiness,  is 
set  forth  in  our  Lord's  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  "  sound 
doctrine  "  of  which  was  utterly  opposed  to  sickly  senti- 
mentalism,  or  to  vain  j  anglings  of  controversialists.  And 
this  was  in  accordance  with  the  glorious  Gospel  of  the 
blessed  God,  or  rather  with  "  the  Gospel  of  the  glory  of 
God,"  whose  glory — that  is,  whose  moral  perfections  and 
character — are  seen  in  all  their  lustre  in  the  Person  and 
work  of  Jesus  Christ.  That  Gospel  tells  us  how  those 
condemned  by  the  law  may  be  justified,  and  it  gives  a 
motive  force,  even  love  to  God,  who  is  made  known  in 
Jesus  Christ,  which  lifts  us  above  the  law,  and  creates 
a  life  of  self-renouncing  love  which  is  a  life  of  liberty. 

How  beautiful,  and  how  full  of  suggestion,  is  the  title 
(used  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  also)  "  the  blessed 
God  " — the  God  who  is  infinitely  happy,  and  who  would 
have  all  His  creatures  so.  Philosophers  dream  and  write 
about  God  as  "  the  impassive  and  unthinkable  essence ;  " 
as  "  the  great  unknown  and  unknowable ; "  as  "  the 
tendency  outside  ourselves  which  makes  for  righteous- 
ness." These  ideas  are  but  a  revival  of  the  teaching  of 
those  Eleatics  and  Epicureans  whom  Paul  encountered 
confidently;  for  he  believed  as  his  Lord  taught  him  to 
do,  in  a  Heavenly  Father,  who  was  consciously  "  blessed  " 
— happy  in  Himself  and  in  His  revelation  of  Himself  to 


68  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

us ;  and  because  He  loved  us,  because  He  could  not  be 
happy  without  us,  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son  to 
redeem  us,  that,  freed  from  the  bondage  of  corruption 
and  mortality,  we  might  in  eternal  felicity  live  in  His 
presence. 

"  Oh,  for  this  love,  let  rocks  and  hills 
Their  lasting  silence  break, 
And  all  harmonious  human  tongues 
Their  Saviour's  praises  speak." 


(     69     ) 


vn. 

THE  SUMMONS  TO  SERVICE, 
(i  Tim.  i.  12-14.) 

The  allusion  to  "the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed  God" 
is  like  the  striking  of  a  chord  on  the  cathedral  organ, 
which  is  accompanied  by  an  outburst  of  praise.  Paul 
was  not  troubled  (as  his  critics  are)  about  the  inter- 
ruption of  his  argument,  but  with  all  his  heart  he  burst 
out  in  the  midst  of  it  with  the  words,  "  I  thank  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord  !  "  His  CALL  to  service,  to  which  he  ever 
alluded  so  gratefully,  requires  our  thoughtful  considera- 
tion. 

I.  It  was  a  Sign  of  Divine  Grace.  —  The  apostle 
might  have  given  here  a  doctrinal  exposition  of  the  way 
in  which  transgressors  of  the  law  might  be  justified;  but 
instead  of  this  he  adduces  his  own  experience  as  an 
example  of  it.  He,  who  had  once  sought  the  righteous- 
ness which  was  of  the  law,  had  seen  a  light  above  tliat 
of  the  noonday  sun  shining  upon  him,  and  in  the  glory 
of  heaven  had  appeared  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  his  Saviour 
and  Lord.  From  that  moment  he  understood  that  while 
the  law  was  for  condemning  sinners,  the  Gospel  was  for 
saving  them,  ministering  to  every  penitent  the  forgive- 


70  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

ness  of  sins.  And  in  God's  abounding  grace  he  found 
himself  not  only  forgiven,  but  summoned  to  service ; 
"  made  a  chosen  vessel "  to  bear  God's  treasure  unto  the 
Gentiles.  He  never  ceased  to  be  filled  with  wonder,  that 
the  Lord  had  "  counted  him  faithful"  or  esteemed  him  to 
be  worthy  of  trust;  and  his  highest  ambition  was  to 
respond  to  this  gracious  confidence.  For  that  is  one 
of  the  best  results  of  being  trusted — it  develops  a  sense 
of  responsibility,  and  appeals  to  all  that  is  noblest  in  the 
nature.  Trust  your  child  with  some  important  message, 
or  duty,  and  he  will  be  more  careful  over  it  than  over 
what  is  trivial.  If  you  would  have  your  servants  loyal, 
regard  them  as  faithful ;  do  not  suspect  and  watch  them, 
as  if  they  were  dishonest.  The  mistress  who  keeps  every- 
thing under  lock  and  key,  the  employer  who  is  always 
suspiciously  dogging  the  footsteps  of  his  young  clerks, 
sometimes  provoke  the  wrongdoing  that  they  fear.  God 
trusts  us,  and  we  should  trust  others ;  and  though  it  may 
give  us  many  a  disappointment,  it  will  justify  itself  in 
the  long  run.  "  Be  ye,  therefore,  merciful,  even  as  your 
Father  who  is  in  heaven  is  merciful." 

The  apostle  was  put  in  trust  of  the  Gospel ;  in  other 
words,  he  was  commissioned  to  make  known  God's  way  of 
salvation  through  Christ,  and  upon  him  largely  rested  the 
responsibility  of  winning  men  to  God,  and  then  combining 
them  in  Christian  communities.  A  higher  work  could  not 
be  sought  for  than  this,  and  no  ambition  is  more  sacred  and 
divine  than  that  which  prompts  one  to  pray  for  it.  Thank 
God  for  all  the  noble  service  which  has  been  done  in  Christ's 
army  by  men,  who,  like  our  brave  oflScers  in  lower  warfare, 


THE   SUMMONS   TO   SERVICE.  71 

have  dared  and  done  valiantly  for  the  truth.  Paul  does 
not  here  speak  expressly  of  his  official  apostolate,  but 
designedly  uses  a  phrase  which  was  applicable  to  all 
Christian  work ;  to  that  of  Timothy,  and  to  that  of  the 
humblest  teacher  or  worker  the  Church  now  possesses. 
He  speaks  expressly  of  "  the  ministry  " — "  the  service," 
as  the  Revised  Version  has  it — which  might  vary  in 
form,  but  had  as  its  essence  the  doing  of  something  for 
Jesus  Christ.  And  those  who  have  any  experience  of 
this  service  feel  that  they  need  the  superabounding  grace 
of  God  to  guide  and  sustain  them  in  the  work  to  which 
they  have  been  divinely  called.  Throw  yourself  boldly 
and  unreservedly  into  Christian  service  of  any  kind,  and 
you  will  feel  more  than  ever  how  much  you  need  the 
wisdom  and  strength  which  are  not  of  man,  but  of  God. 
The  oil  from  the  olive  tree  must  flow  to  the  golden 
candlestick,  or  the  light  will  die  out.  The  well  must 
be  fed  from  heaven,  indirectly  through  many  a  hidden 
channel,  or  it  will  soon  be  exhausted.  And  of  Christ 
Jesus  we  may  say,  "  All  my  springs  are  in  Thee."  In  the 
law  we  find  restraint,  in  the  Christ  we  find  inspiration. 
Many  of  us  can  thank  God,  as  the  apostle  did,  when  he 
said,  "  The  grace  of  our  Lord  was  exceeding  abundant  to 
me."  It  is  He  who  "  hath  enabled  me,"  who  hath  given 
me  power,  to  receive  the  charge,  and  even  in  some  slight 
measure  to  meet  its  awful  claim. 

II.  But  lest  it  should  be  thought  that  there  was  any- 
natural  innate  worthiness  of  such  a  trust  on  Paul's  part, 
he  goes  on  to  show  that  this  summons  to  service  came 

TO  ONE  WHO  WAS  UTTERLY  UNDESERVING. 


72  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

I.  It  was  like  Paul,  and  therefore  another  indication 
of  the  authenticity  of  this  Epistle,  to  call  prominent  atten- 
tion to  what  he  had  been  before  his  conversion.  Like  David 
he  could  say,  "  My  sin  is  ever  before  me."  His  former 
career  seemed  to  haunt  him  like  a  spectre ;  and  though 
he  knew  it  was  all  forgiven  by  the  Lord,  he  found  it 
almost  impossible  to  forgive  himself  for  those  worse  than 
wasted  years.  And  if  this  were  so  with  one  who  was 
divinely  quickened  on  earth,  how  much  more  troubled 
they  will  be  hereafter  who  will  not  only  see  the  evil  past, 
as  they  never  saw  it  before,  but  who  will  not  have,  as  he 
had,  the  consciousness  that  in  God's  great  mercy  it  is 
forgiven. 

The  remembrance  of  past  sin  with  Paul  was  not  a 
source  of  sorrow  only,  but  it  was  a  source  of  thanks- 
giving. It  was  something  like  one  of  those  wonderful 
clouds  we  see  at  sunset.  At  first  it  looms  ominously  on 
the  horizon,  as  if  the  blackness  of  darkness  were  resting 
on  the  distant  hill,  but  at  last  the  sunlight  streams  forth, 
the  edges  of  the  cloud  become  dazzlingly  bright,  and 
soon  the  whole  is  suifused  with  purple,  and  crimson,  and 
gold ;  the  dark  cloud  is  glorified,  and  we  feel  the  evening 
would  have  lost  half  its  beauty  if  the  cloud  had  not  been 
there. 

Paul's  description  of  his  previous  career  is  painted  in 
colours  black  enough.  "  I  was  before,"  says  he,  "  a 
blasphemer  ;  cursing  the  sacred  name  of  the  Nazarene, 
and  compelling  others  who  loved  Him,  by  my  threats,  to 
blaspheme  Him  too.  I  was  a  persecutor,  standing  by 
approvingly  when    others   stoned   Stephen,   one    of  the 


THE    SUMMONS   TO   SERVICE.  73 

noblest  of  God's  servants;  and  not  sparing  even  weakly 
women  who  loved  the  Lord,  who  more  than  any  other 
raised  up  and  dignified  womanhood  ;  and  I  was  injurious, 
a  doer  of  outrage,  shrinking  from  no  act  of  violence  and 
cruelty,  if  only  I  might  crush  the  cause  of  the  Nazarene. 
Yet  God's  mercy  abounded  even  towards  me.  It  was  not 
like  a  river,  but  like  a  sea,  deep,  wide,  and  exhaustless. 
How  then  can  I  praise  Him  enough !  "  Let  the  thought 
of  that  infinite  love  lead  you  to  repentance,  lest  you  be 
found  at  last  not  only  to  have  disobeyed  Divine  law,  but 
to  have  rejected  Divine  mercy. 

2.  It  was  not  with  a  desire  to  lessen  the  enormity  of 
his  guilt  that  he  adds,  "  /  obtained  mercy,  because  I  did 
it  ignorantly  in  unbelief."  None  knew  better  than  he 
did  that  his  ignorance  was  culpable,  because  he  had 
within  his  reach  the  means  of  conquering  it ;  but  he  was 
anxious  to  show  that  he  had  never  been  like  the  worse 
section  of  the  Pharisees,  who  knowingly  rejected  the 
counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  and  so  had  put  them- 
selves outside  the  pale  of  mercy. 

Paul  was  a  persecutor,  not  because  he  was  indifferent 
to  the  claims  of  God,  but  because  in  his  ignorance  he 
thought  he  ought  to  do  many  things  contrary  to  the 
name  of  Jesus.  His  position  had  been  like  that  of  the 
men  concerning  whom  the  Lord  prayed,  "  Father,  forgive 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do ; "  or,  like  that  of 
those  to  whom  Peter  said,  "  And  now,  brethren,  I  wot  that 
through  ignorance  ye  did  it."  None  of  us  can  judge  of 
the  limits  of  responsibility  in  the  case  of  any  man,  nor 
can  we  tell  how  far  ignorance  is  a  weight  to  be  thrown 


74  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

into  tlie  scale  of  mercy ;  only  the  righteous  Judge  who 
knows  everything,  and  overlooks  nothing,  can  determine 
that ;  but  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right  -,  and 
the  Father  hath  committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son, 
because  He  is  the  Son  of  Man.  Yet  Divine  mercy  is  the 
necessity  of  every  man,  even  of  the  unconsciously  guilty ; 
and  this  proud,  ignorant  Saul,  before  he  was  pardoned, 
needed  to  bow  himself  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  say  with  tears, 
"  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do  ?  " 

III.   Finally,  it  is   evident  that  DiVlNE  GRACE  WHICH 

GAVE  THE  CALL  AND  FORGAVE  THE  SINNER,  HAD  AS  ITS 
SIGNS  IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE   CONVERT "  FAITH  AND  LOVE." 

"  The  grace  of  our  Lord  was  exceeding  abundant,  with 
faith  and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus" — that  is,  they 
found  their  sphere  of  action  in  Christ.  It  was  not  merely 
that  the  former  persecutor  was  led  to  see  the  transcendant 
excellence  of  Jesus,  but  such  faith  in  Him,  such  love 
towards  Him  were  aroused  in  his  heart,  that  the  perse- 
cutor became  the  apostle,  who  said,  "  The  love  of  Christ 
constraineth  us ;  because  we  thus  judge,  that  one  died 
for  all,  therefore  all  died  ;  and  He  died  for  all  that  they 
which  live  should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves, 
but  unto  Him  who  for  their  sakes  died  and  rose  again." 

Conclusion. — The  Lord  is  calling  us  as  He  called  Saul 
from  the  darkness  of  our  ignorance  into  the  light  of  His 
love ;  from  the  evils  of  the  past  to  the  bliss  of  pardon 
and  sanctity;  from  the  indolence  which  has  reigned  so 
lono-,  to  a  life  of  self-renouncement  for  His  dear  sake. 


(    75     ) 


vin. 

THE  GOSPEL  IN  A  SENTENCE. 
(I  Tim.  i.  15.) 

It  has  been  pointed  out  by  critics  that  the  expression  "  a 
faithful  saying  "  does  not  occur  in  any  other  of  the  Pauline 
epistles  except  in  those  to  Timothy  and  Titus.  This, 
however,  is  no  proof  that  these  letters  are  not  authentic, 
for  they  were  written  at  a  later  period  in  the  apostle's 
life.  We  know  from  experience  how  naturally  we  come 
to  use  certain  phrases,  which  continually  obtrude  them- 
selves in  our  conversation  and  letters  for  a  time,  and  then 
they  fall  into  desuetude,  and  in  old  age  such  repetition  of 
familiar  phrases  is  more  frequent  than  before.  Paul  was 
not  so  subject  to  the  inspiration  of  God's  Spirit  as  to  be 
exempt  from  the  ordinary  processes  of  brain  activity,  and 
we  see  no  cause  for  surprise  in  the  fact  that  a  phrase  he 
never  used  in  his  earlier  ministry  readily  flowed  from  his 
pen  in  his  later  years,  and  that  three  times  in  his  Epistles 
to  Timothy,  and  once  in  his  Epistle  to  Titus,  he  speaks 
of  some  "  faithful  saying." 

Besides  this,  as  years  go  on  and  new  truths  become 
familiar  and  are  being  conveyed  by  one  to  another, 
especially  among  those  whose  range  of  language  is 
not  great,  as   would   be  the   case   with    Paul's   hearers, 


76  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

there  is  a  tendency  to  the  crystallisation  of  thought  in 
familiar  phrases.  It  is  so  with  happy  sayings  struck  out 
in  political  warfare,  such  as  Lord  John  Russell's  "rest 
and  be  thankful,"  or  Disraeli's  allusion  to  "  extinct  vol- 
canoes," or  Bright's  reference  to  the  "  cave  of  Adullam," 
or  John  Morley's  "  end  them  or  mend  them  ; "  and  the 
same  sort  of  process  is  seen  in  scientific  phraseology,  "the 
survival  of  the  fittest,"  "  natural  selection,"  and  so  forth. 
By  choice  sentences  like  these  thought  held  in  solution  is 
crystallised,  and  is  more  rapidly  conveyed  from  one  person 
to  another ;  or,  to  use  another  figure,  the  gold  of  thought 
long  in  a  state  of  fusion  is  finally  stamped  by  a  master 
mind,  and  then  passes  from  hand  to  band  as  the  current 
coin  of  God's  kingdom.  This  was  the  process  which  soon 
asserted  itself  in  the  early  Churches,  and  was  the  more 
natural  and  necessary,  because  the  diffusion  of  truth  was 
oral  rather  than  written.  Short  sentences,  struck  off  in 
an  inspired  moment,  were  laid  hold  upon  by  retentive 
memories,  and  repeated  by  one  Christian  to  his  neigh- 
bour, and  thus  the  truth  was  not  only  preserved  but  was 
propagated. 

The  earliest  example  we  have  of  this  is  alluded  to  by 
Paul  in  his  address  to  the  elders  of  this  Ephesian  Church, 
when  referring  to  a  phrase  which  is  now  recorded  in  our 
Gospels,  but  was  evidently  familiar  to  his  hearers,  he 
said,  "  Remember  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  how 
He  said.  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." 
Another  specimen  of  these  current  sayings  is  given  in 
the  second  chapter  of  the  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy, 
where  we  read — "  It  is  a  faithful  saying.  For  if  we  be 


THE   GOSPEL   IN   A    SENTENCE.  J  J 

dead  with  Him,  we  shall  also  live  with  Him ;  if  we  suffer, 
we  shall  also  reign  with  Him ;  if  we  deny  Him,  He  also 
will  deny  us ;  if  we  believe  not,  yet  He  abideth  faithful, 
He  cannot  deny  Himself."  Every  one  can  see  how  such 
familiar  sayings  would  instruct  the  unbeliever  and  en- 
courage the  believer. 

With  all  the  advantages  which  arise  from  the  possession 
of  a  Christian  literature,  we  cannot  afford  to  be  without  such 
faithful  sayings ;  indeed,  the  diffuseness  and  vagueness  of 
modern  Christian  thought  is  in  part  due  to  contentment 
with  general  information  rather  than  with  definite  and 
concentrated  truth.  Texts  of  Scripture  familiar  to  the 
memory,  and  dear  to  the  heart,  may  often  come  in  for 
our  guidance  and  comfort  in  time  of  necessity ;  but  too 
often  Christian  in  the  Valley  of  Humiliation  finds  that 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit  is  out  of  his  hand  in  the  very 
crisis  of  his  conflict.  And  hymns,  in  their  measure,  have 
a  similar  value  to  that  of  verses  of  Scripture.  They  are 
for  the  most  part  the  utterances  of  our  best  men  at  their 
best  times — when  they  have  risen  triumphant  over  their 
doubts,  and  above  the  cramping  eflect  of  denominational 
barriers,  and  may  bring  help  and  inspiration  to  all  who 
love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity.  Let  us  not  be 
unmindful  of  the  spiritual  help  to  be  found  in  the  faithful 
sayings  of  the  Church. 

One  of  the  noblest  and  earliest  of  these  is  before  us  in 
a  verse  which  contains  and  conveys  the  Gospel  in  a 
sentence — "  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all 
acceptation,  that  Cbrist  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief." 


78  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

I.  The  Mission  of  the  Son  of  God  is  here  set  forth — 
He  "  came  into  the  world."  This  expression  would  be 
an  extravagance  if  it  referred  only  to  ordinary  human 
parentage.  But  read  in  connection  with  other  inspired 
utterances  it  implies,  if  it  does  not  expressly  assert,  the 
conscious  pre-existence  of  our  Lord.  Similarly,  we  read 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  "  When  He  bringeth  in 
the  first  begotten  into  the  world  He  said,  And  let  all 
the  angels  of  God  worship  Him ;  "  and,  in  the  Gospel 
according  to  John,  our  Lord  Himself  declares,  "  I  came 
forth  from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world  ; " 
again,  "  I  leave  the  world,  and  go  to  the  Father ;  "  and 
once  more,  "  I  am  come  that  they  might  have  life."  The 
pre-existence  of  our  Lord  in  a  higher  state  was  unques- 
tionably an  accepted  axiom  among  the  early  Christians, 
a  commonplace  of  primitive  Christian  belief;  and  we, 
believing  in  His  deity,  offer  Him  our  lowly  adoration 
as  well  as  our  thanks  and  love. 

II.  The  Purpose  of  His  Mission  could  not  be  set 
forth  more  clearly  and  concisely  than  in  the  words,  He 
came  "  to  save  sinners."  His  object  was  not  to  become 
the  temporal  king  of  the  Jewish  people,  nor  yet  to  give 
the  light  of  scientific,  or  philosophical,  or  even  ethical 
knowledge  to  the  Gentiles ;  but  to  redeem  men  from  the 
condemnation  of  the  law,  and  to  deliver  them  from  their  sins. 
To  reverence  Him  as  a  kingly  man,  or  to  honour  Him 
as  a  great  Teacher  only,  is  but  an  imperfect  acknowledg- 
ment of  His  claims.  He  demands  the  giving  up  of  sin, 
the  recognition  and  acceptance  of  His  atonement,  and  the 
absolute  submission  of  the  whole  life  to  His  will.  His 
cleansing  of  defiled  lepers,  His  delivery  of  the  dead  from 


THE    GOSPEL    IN    A    SENTENCE.  79 

the  grave  and  its  corruption,  and  His  casting  out  of  evil 
spirits,  were  miracles  which  set  forth  what  He  came  to  do 
in  the  spiritual  experience  of  His  followers.  The  woman 
who  washed  His  feet  with  penitential  tears,  the  publican, 
who  at  His  coming  welcomed  salvation  to  his  house,  and 
vowed  to  set  right,  as  far  as  he  could,  the  result  of  past 
exactions  and  unrighteousnesses,  showed  what  He  ex- 
pected of  those  who  would  be  His  followers.  He  came 
not  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners  to  repentance,  and 
therefore  the  message  came  by  an  angel  to  Joseph,  "  Thou 
shalt  call  His  name  Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  His  people 
from  their  sins." 

III.  The  Exemplification  of  this  purpose,  given  by 
Paul,  is  drawn  from  his  own  experience.  He  says,  re- 
specting himself,  of  sinners,  "  I  am  chief"  The  word 
"  sinners  "  is  the  same  as  occurs  in  the  ninth  verse,  where 
it  denotes  those  for  whom  the  law  was  a  necessity,  for 
rebuke  and  restraint.  Whom  the  law  came  to  condemn, 
Jesus  came  to  save.  And  in  Galatians  ii.  i  5  the  same 
word  is  applied  to  the  Gentiles  who  were  outside  the 
covenant  of  promise,  living  without  God  and  without 
hope  in  the  world.  It  seems  strange  that  Paul,  who 
even  at  his  worst  had  been  an  ascetic  and  punctilious 
Pharisee,  should  speak  of  himself  as  "chief"  amongst 
sinners.  But  if  we  had  as  deep  an  insight  into  our  own 
case  as  he  had — if  we  recognised  as  clearly  as  he  did  the 
far-reaching  effects  of  sin,  especially  of  such  sin  as  his, 
sin  which  misleads,  perverts,  and  ruins  others — we 
might  think  thus  of  ourselves.  When,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  chloroform,  some  critical  operation  is  performed, 
and  the  patient  wakes  up  to  find  that  it  is  over,  a  great 


80  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

feeling  of  thankfulness  rises  up  in  his  breast  at  the 
whisper,  "  thank  God  it  has  been  successful,"  for  he 
knows  that  life  is  saved ;  but  he  would  feel  still  more 
thankful  if  he  knew  what  the  skilful  surgeon  does,  that 
there  was  only  a  fractional  part  of  an  inch  in  this  direc- 
tion or  in  that  between  him  and  death.  Paul  knew 
better  than  we  do  what  he  had  been  saved  from  here  and 
hereafter,  and  his  intensity  of  feeling  about  sin  was  an 
element  in  his  spiritual  greatness.  May  God  give  ua 
also  humbling  views  of  ourselves  and  adoring  thoughts  of 
Him  who  has  saved  us  ! 

Conclusion. — The  truth  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into 
the  world  to  save  sinners,  is  "  worthy  of  all  acceptation." 
"It  is  a  faithful  saying,"  worthy  of  implicit  credence,  ol 
absolute  reliance,  for  it  will  not  give  way  though  you 
lean  the  whole  weight  of  your  soul's  salvation  on  it.  It 
is  worthy  of  acceptance  hy  all  men — by  despairing  sinners 
clutching  at  the  straws  of  their  own  resolves,  regardless 
of  the  outstretched  hand  of  the  one  Saviour ;  and  by 
self-sufficient  moralists  who  shut  their  eyes  to  their  need 
and  danger,  knowing  nothing  of  the  awful  depths  beneath 
them.  And  it  is  worthy  of  every  hind  of  acceptation; 
worthy  of  being  embraced  by  every  faculty  of  mind,  and 
heart,  and  will.  You  may  understand  it  as  a  theological 
doctrine,  but  that  is  not  enough  ;  you  may  love  it  as  a 
familiar  pleasant-sounding  phrase,  but  that  is  not  enough. 
It  deserves  the  homage  of  your  entire  nature.  As  the 
disciples  cast  garments  and  palm  branches  in  the  way  of 
the  coming  Saviour,  so  let  us  prostrate  our  thoughts,  our 
affections,  our  wills,  and  our  lives  before  Him  who  in 
infinite  love  "came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners." 


IX. 

PRAISE   FOR    SALVATION, 

(i  Tim.  i.  i6,  17. — "I  obtained  mercy.") 

The  narration  of  personal  experience  may  be  very  helpful 
to  those  who  are  wanting  instruction  or  sympathy.  Men 
are  better  able  to  grasp  truth  in  the  concrete  than  in  the 
abstract.  To  see  a  sinner  saved  from  sin  is  more  helpful 
than  to  read  of  salvation.  No  one  recognised  this  more 
clearly,  or  acted  on  it  more  wisely,  than  Paul ;  and  some 
of  the  most  instructive  parts  of  his  Epistles  ai-e  those  in 
which  he  recounts  his  own  religious  experience.  We 
may  similarly  help  others,  especially  our  own  children, 
and  those  who  are  within  the  sacred  circle  of  friendship ; 
but  the  narration  of  experience  may  be  as  harmful  as 
beneficial,  if  it  becomes  frequent  or  formal.  There  is 
danger  of  egotism,  till  our  own  personality  covers  the 
whole  horizon  of  our  thought.  There  is  risk  of  affected 
singularity,  as  if  we  wished  to  be  distinguished  from  others 
and  considered  superior  to  them.  A  fatal  tendency  to 
exaggerate  our  feelings  by  the  use  of  phrases  too  large 
for  our  actual  experience  may  assert  itself.  And  espe- 
cially with  young  Christians  the  spiritual  life  may  be 
seriously  injured  by  public  display — as  a  seed  germinat- 


82  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

ing  in  darkness  will  be  killed  by  exposure  to  air  and 
light.  There  are  those  to  whom  Jesus  says,  "Go  ye  and 
teach  all  nations ; "  but  there  are  others  to  whom  He 
says,  "  Return  to  thine  own  house,  and  show  how  great 
things  God  hath  done  for  thee."  What  is  helpful  at  a 
time  of  leligious  revival  may  be  harmful  as  a  regular 
and  formal  branch  of  Church  work ;  and  in  nothing  is 
heavenly  wisdom  more  needed  than  in  the  right  use  of 
personal  religious  experience.  Paul  had  this  wisdom  in 
abounding  measure.     Referring  to  himself  he  says — 

I.  That  salvation  came  to  one  most  undeserving. — 
"Chief  of  sinners  though  I  am,"  he  exclaims,  "  I  obtained 
mercy,"  "  that  in  me,"  in  the  very  depths  of  my  nature, 
in  my  whole  future  destiny,  Jesus  Christ  might  "  show 
forth  all  long-suffering."  Paul  wondered  that  he  had 
not  been  struck  down  dead  when  he  blasphemed  the 
name  of  Jesus  in  the  synagogue,  or  when  he  watched 
with  eager  exultation  the  stoning  of  the  martyr  Stephen; 
and  when  the  light  came  from  heaven  which  smote  him 
to  the  earth,  leaving  him  blind  and  helpless,  he  mar- 
velled that  it  was  not  death,  but  life  which,  in  His 
infinite  mercy,  the  Lord  Jesus  brought  to  him.  And 
this  salvation  was  not  for  himself  alone;  nor  was  it 
merely  that  by  his  preaching  he  might  advance  the  cause 
he  had  hated  ;   but  he  was  conscious — 

II.  That  his  conversion  w^as  a  pattern  for  all  the 
future.  —  One  reason  God  had  for  making  this  bold 
sinner  a  vessel  of  Divine  grace,  was  that  he  might  be 
a  living  exemplification  of  mercy,  so  that  in  all  tlie 
future  the  most  guilty  might  say,  "  If  God  saved  Saul, 


PRAISE    FOR   SALVATION.  83 

He  can  save  me."  He  was  not  only  to  be  a  herald,  and 
a  preacher  of  glad  tidings,  but  was  to  exemplify  them  in 
his  own  life  and  character ;  and  ever  since  that  time  the 
conversion  of  Paul  has  been,  as  much  as  his  teaching,  an 
inspiration  to  the  Church.  Remembering  what  he  was, 
and  what  he  became,  we  may  be  encouraged  to  bow  at 
Jesus'  feet  and  say,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do  ?  "  and  still  the  message  comes  for  every  weary  heart, 
"  If  thou  believest  as  Paul,  thou  shalt  be  saved  as  Paul." 

III.  That  such  conversion  should  express  itself  in 
PRAISE  to  God  is  evident  from  the  noble  doxology  which 
follows — "  Now  unto  the  King  eternal,  immortal,  incor- 
ruptible, invisible,  the  only  (wise)  God,  be  honour  and 
glory  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen." 

Paul  was  always  ready  for  a  song  of  praise,  and  could 
sing  as  heartily  in  prison  at  Philippi  as  at  the  prayer- 
meeting  beside  its  river.  The  thought  he  had  just 
uttered  concerning  God  as  the  sovereign  dispenser  of 
grace,  who  had  foreseen  from  the  first  what  the  perse^ 
cutor  would  be,  and  who  would  still  show  in  all  the 
world's  future  His  merciful  kindness  to  those  who  be- 
lieved in  Jesus,  naturally  evoked  this  sublime  expression 
of  adoring  grateful  worship.  There  is  no  exact  parallel 
to  this  doxology  in  the  New  Testament.  It  is  not  often 
that  God  is  spoken  of  as  "  King,"  and  the  expression 
rendered  by  our  translators  "  the  King  eternal,"  but 
more  correctly  in  the  margin  of  the  Revised  Version 
"  King  of  the  Ages,"  is  quite  peculiar  to  this  verse. 
What  a  helpful  assurance  this  is  that  our  God,  our 
Saviour,  the   Father   of  our   Lord   Jesus   Christ,  is  the 

7 


84  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

supreme  Lord  of  all  the  successive  ages  which  stretch 
from  the  forgotten  past  into  the  Infinite  future ;  that  He 
controls  all  stages  of  development  in  the  natural  realm, 
in  the  creation  and  dissolution  of  worlds,  and  in  the 
kingdom  of  grace  !  The  insects  whose  world  is  crushed  by 
a  footstep  may  as  well  expect  to  comprehend  the  works 
and  plans  of  man,  as  we  profess  to  understand  the  infinite 
purposes  of  the  King  of  the  Ages — the  incorruptible,  the 
invisible,  and  the  only  God.  To  Him  be  honour  and 
glory,  for  ever  and  ever.      Amen. 


(     85     ) 


TIMOTHY'S  CHARGE  AND  WARNING. 
(i  Tim.  i.  18-20.) 

The  "charge"  to  which  Paul  alludes  does  not  refer 
to  what  he  said  in  the  third  and  fifth  verses,  but 
points  on  to  what  follows — to  that  good  warfare  which 
Timothy  was  summoned  to  undertake  against  evil.  From 
his  own  experience  and  ofiice,  the  apostle  turns  to  en- 
courage his  young  fellow- labourer ;  for  the  true  Christian 
thinks  more  of  others  than  of  himself,  and  uses  his  own 
attainments  to  enrich  them  and  not  to  glorify  himself. 
The  desert  sand  drinks  in  the  rain  and  the  rock  rejects 
it ;  but  the  fertile  soil  holds  it,  not  for  itself  but  for 
the  life  and  well-being  of  what  is  dependent  upon  it; 
and  this  should  be  a  type  of  those  who  receive  spiritual 
benediction. 

I.  The  Charge,  of  which  Timothy  was  reminded, 
I.  Had  been  indicated  hy  inspired  prophets  in  the 
Church.  In  those  days  God  gave  some  to  be  "prophets" 
as  well  as  some  to  be  "  apostles  "  and  "  teachers."  There 
were  prophets  at  Antioch  who  announced  the  way  in 
which  missionary  enterprise  should  be  undertaken,  men 
through  whom  the  Lord   said,    "  Separate  me  Barnabas 


86  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

and  Saul."  Agabus  had  a  similar  gift,  as  had  also  the 
daughters  of  Philip,  the  evangelist.  These  prophets  were 
able  to  take  (not  always,  but  often)  far-seeing  glances 
into  the  future ;  although,  judging  from  the  little  infoi'- 
mation  we  have  upon  the  subject,  they  appear  to  have 
foreseen  what  would  happen  to  individual  Christians 
rather  than  to  the  Church  or  to  the  world  in  general. 
This  verse  intimates  that  at  a  certain  period  in  Timothy's 
history — probably  when  he  was  specially  set  apart  for 
Christian  work — such  prophecies  had  been  uttered  over 
him,  and  as  he  was  but  a  lad,  and  by  no  means  physically 
robust,  we  can  understand  that  these  inspired  utterances 
would  be  necessary  to  bring  about  his  election,  to  which 
the  worldly  wise  might  object.  Very  significantly  Paul 
says  these  prophecies  "  went  before  on  thee ; "  that  is, 
they  were  not  only  uttered  upon,  or  over  him,  but  they 
went  forth  "  before  "  him  in  his  future  course,  revealing 
it  and  inspiring  him  to  follow  it — just  as  the  conscious- 
ness of  having  a  courier  in  front  would  direct  and 
encourage  the  traveller.  Hence  Paul  adds  that  "  by 
them,"  or  in  them,  Timothy  might  wage  a  "  good  war- 
fare;" he  was  to  feel  like  one  clothed  and  armed  in  those 
prophetic  hopes,  in  those  believing  prayers. 

And  do  not  we  know  souiething  of  this  ?  No  man 
has  ever  done  great  work  in  the  world  unless  he  has  a 
deep  moral  conviction  that  he  is  predestined  to  do  it;  and 
this  was  never  exemplified  better  than  in  General  Gordon, 
who,  in  more  than  one  campaign,  felt  that  he  was  invin- 
cible and  resistless  till  his  work  was  done.  And  in  our 
lowlier  spheres  we  should  be  the  more  watchful,  earnest, 


timothy's  charge  and  warning.  87 

and  hopeful,  because  others  have  had  great  hopes  about 
us,  and  because  we  have  been  set  apart  to  be  God's 
servants  by  many  an  act  of  dedication.  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  have  prophecies  going  before  us,  and  the  prayers 
of  dear  ones  encircling  us  so  that  in  them  we  may  war  a 
good  warfare. 

2.  For  this  charge  involved  conflict. — The  hopes  and 
prayers  of  others  could  not  save  Timothy  from  spiritual 
dangers,  nor  avert  from  him  spiritual  foes,  nor  relieve  him 
from  personal  responsibilities.  And  here  it  is  worthy  of 
notice,  that  in  his  Epistles  this  apostle  nearly  always 
draws  his  illustrations  of  a  Christian's  duties  from  mili- 
tary and  not  from  sacerdotal  life.  The  responsibilities  of 
the  Roman  soldier  and  not  of  the  Levitical  priest  seemed 
to  him  the  more  fitting  emblems  of  the  work  we  have  to 
do.  Knowing  what  ho  did  of  the  powers  of  evil  in  the 
world,  and  of  the  strength  of  sin  in  the  heart,  we  do  not 
wonder  that  he  urges  us  to  take  to  ourselves  the  whole 
armour  of  God. 

3.  And  for  success  in  this  warfare  "faith  and  a  good 
conscience"  are  essential. — "  Faith"  fitly  goes  first,  because 
without  it  we  have  no  hold  on  the  invisible  God — the 
source  of  strength  and  the  giver  of  victory  ;  but  a  "  good 
conscience"  must  evermore  accompany  it,  because  the 
struggle  is  a  moral  one,  in  which  we  want  not  only  an 
enlightened  mind  and  a  determined  will,  but  also  that 
sensitiveness  to  good  and  evil  which  will  tell  us  when  to 
be  on  our  guard  and  when  to  advance  with  courage. 
"  Faith,"  without  a  "  good  conscience,"  is  like  a  garrison 
summoned  to  defend  one  g-ate  of  the  fortress,  while  a 


88  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

traitor  is  opening  the  other  gate  to  relentless  foes.     This 
leads  the  apostle  to  give  Timothy — 

II.  The  warning  which  is  contained  in  the  last  two 
verses, 

1.  He  speaks  of  some  who  had  put  away  a  good  con- 
science, stifling  its  voice  and  thrusting  it  from  them, 
with  this  result,  that  they  had  made  shipwreck  of  faith. 
And  this  experience  has  often  repeated  itself  in  the 
history  of  the  Church.  Balaam  put  away  a  "  good  con- 
science "  when  he  paltered  with  his  convictions  to  his 
soul's  undoing.  Saul,  the  king,  did  so  when  he  disobeyed 
the  distinct  command  of  God,  until  he  was  no  longer 
able  to  hear  the  Divine  voice  and  resorted  to  the  witch 
of  Endor.  Judas  Iscariot  did  so  when  he  resisted  the 
promptings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  betrayed  his  Lord 
and  Master ;  and  in  each  case  the  sacrifice  of  con- 
science brought  about  "  the  shipwreck  of  faith."  Like 
the  bleached  timbers  on  a  rocky  coast — those  fearsome 
histories  appear  for  our  warning,  lest  our  end  should  be 
as  theirs.  When  our  religious  faith  fails  to  influence 
our  practice,  and  becomes  only  a  subject  for  the  play  of 
fancy  and  speculation;  when  our  views  of  truth  and  duty 
become  dim  or  wavering,  and  we  are  content  that  it 
should  be  so,  we  are  in  danger — the  anchorless  vessel  is 
drifting  in  upon  the  rocks  of  infidelity  and  despair.  The 
loss  of  spiritual  life  follows  on  the  sacrifice  of  moral 
purity.  May  God  keep  us  undefiled,  that  we  may  never 
make  shipwreck  of  faith  ! 

2.  Uxamples  of  this  are  pointed  out  to  Timothy: 
"  Hymenaeus  and  Alexander." — The   latter  was    a  very 


TIMOTHYS    CHARGE    AND    WARNING.  89 

common  name,  so  that  we  cannot  confidently  identify 
this  man  with  "  Alexander,  the  coppersmith,"  who,  Paul 
declares,  in  the  Second  Epistle,  did  him  much  evil ;  but 
Hymenaeus  was  so  uncommon  a  name  that  we  may  be 
sure  it  was  he  of  whom  the  apostle  says,  in  the  Second 
Epistle,  that  he  and  Philetus  were  in  grievous  error, 
denying  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  and  declaring 
that  it  was  past  already.  A  blunted  conscience  evidently 
accompanied  a  darkened  mind.  A  moral  fall  was  in- 
volved in  an  heretical  lapse ;  for  the  mutual  dependence 
of  these  is  far  more  close  than  many  think. 

3.  Paul  did  what  he  coidd  to  save  and  warn  them,  say- 
ing of  them,  "  Whom  I  have  delivered  unto  Satan,  that 
they  may  learn  not  to  blaspheme."  A  difficult  passage, 
chiefly  because  we  know  so  little  of  apostolic  modes  of 
Church  discipline.  This  chastisement  probably  involved 
a  formal  removal  from  the  Church  of  Christ,  with  all  the 
shame  and  mortification  which  accompanied  it ;  for,  as 
we  see  in  the  case  of  Corinth,  the  whole  Church  con- 
firmed the  decision  of  the  apostle.  But  this  peculiar 
phraseology,  "whom  I  have  delivered  unto  Satan,"  implies 
more  than  that.  It  certainly  did  not  mean  that  they 
were  given  over  to  perdition,  for  the  object  of  the 
punishment  was  their  salvation,  "  that  they  might  learn 
not  to  blaspheme,"  that  is,  not  to  misrepresent  and  calum- 
niate the  truth  of  God. 

Here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  Satan  is  spoken  of  not  as 
an  independent  hostile  power,  but  as  one  who  is  allowed 
to  work  evil  for  a  given  purpose,  which  is  often  beyond 
the  range  of  men  to  discover.     Thus  Job  was  left  in  the 


pO  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

power  of  tlie  adversary  for  a  season ;  and  similarly,  the 
Lord  Jesus  said  to  Peter,  "  Simon,  Simon,  Satan  hath 
desired  to  have  you,  that  he  might  sift  you  as  wheat;  but 
I  have  prayed  for  thee  that  thy  faith  fail  not."  Paul 
himself  speaks  of  the  "  thorn  in  the  flesh  "  as  being  "  the 
messenger  of  Satan  to  buffet"  him.  And  when  in  the 
light  of  these  passages  we  read  this  solemn  declaration 
and  couple  it  with  I  Cor.  v.  5,  where  Paul  says  of  the 
incestuous  offender,  "  With  the  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  to  deliver  such  an  one  unto  Satan  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  flesh,  that  the  Spirit  may  be  saved  in  the  days 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,"  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
apostles  were  gifted  with,  and  sometimes  used,  the  solemn 
power  of  inflicting  disease  on  the  body  in  order  to  awaken 
in  the  offender,  or  in  others,  convictions  of  sin  and  long- 
ings for  salvation.  In  the  terrible  cases  of  Ananias  and 
Elymas,  we  see  evidences  of  a  power  to  punish  given  to 
those  who  could  heal  diseases  and  cast  out  devils,  a  power 
which  no  doubt  was  demanded  by  the  exigencies  of  the 
Church,  and  certainly  died  with  the  apostles,  who  could 
not  transmit  it. 

But  underlying  its  exercise  was  a  principle  of  Divine 
discipline,  which  is  applicable  in  every  age ;  for  there  is 
no  loss  we  sustain,  no  affliction  we  suffer,  but  may  work 
for  our  spiritual  welfare,  warning  us  against  evil,  and 
stimulating  us  to  holier  endeavour  and  more  earnest 
prayer. 

"  Let  us  be  patient,  these  severe  afflictions 

Not  fiom  tlie  ground  arise, 
But  oftentimes  celestial  benedictions 

Assume  this  dark  disguise." 


SERMONETTES  ON  SECOND  CHAPTER. 


(     93     ) 


I. 

INTERCESSORY  PRAYER. 

(i  Tim.  ii.  1-4.) 

Prayer  is  a  first  necessity  of  tlie  Christian  life.  From 
the  moment  when  the  soul  turns  in  penitence  to  God, 
and  angels  say,  "  Behold  he  prayeth,"  until  the  hour 
when,  at  the  gates  of  Paradise,  the  dying  saint  exclaims, 
"  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit,"  communion  with  God  is 
the  vital  breath  of  His  child.  In  proportion  to  the 
keenness  of  our  spiritual  perception,  and  the  exercise  of 
our  religious  energies,  is  the  consciousness  of  our  need  for 
prayer.  Without  it  we  are  like  soldiers  in  the  arid 
desert,  who  grow  more  and  more  weary  as  they  think  of 
distant  wells  separated  from  them  by  relentless  foes,  and 
we  are  ready  to  exclaim,  "  My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for 
the  living  God.  As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water- 
brooks,  so  panteth  my  soul  after  Thee,  0  God."  Any 
doubts,  any  companionship,  any  pleasures  which  either 
deaden  our  sense  of  the  necessity  of  prayer,  or  prevent 
our  enjoyment  of  its  blessedness,  are  to  be  regarded  and 
dealt  with  as  our  deadly  foes. 

When  we  pray  we  become  conscious  of  the  reality  of 
unseen  things  until  they  completely  outweigh  in  importance 


94  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

worldly  affairs,  and  then  it  becomes  possible  to  us,  and 
even  natural  to  us,  to  live  as  "  strangers  and  pilgrims." 
In  prayer  we  are  also  made  more  sensible  of  the  presence 
and  of  the  infinite  love  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  and 
become  convinced  that  what  He  has  ordained  must  be 
wise  and  good,  and  thus  in  tribulation  our  troubled  hearts 
are  quieted.  And  when  we  speak  to  Him  we  are  more 
ready  to  recognise  how  much  there  is  which  lies,  and 
must  lie,  beyond  our  finite  comprehension,  and  we  learn 
to  leave  contentedly  some  mysteries  unexplained,  feeling 
that  God  would  not  be  infinite  if  we  were  able  to  com- 
prehend Him.  These  and  many  other  blessings  are  ours 
through  the  exercise  of  prayer. 

But  Scripture  constantly  afiirms  that  there  is  more 
than  subjective  good  to  be  gained  through  fellowship 
with  God ;  that  if  we  ask  we  receive,  and  this  not  only 
for  ourselves  but  for  others.  The  world  is  blessed  by 
the  prayers  of  the  saints.  They  constitute  the  ladder  of 
light  on  which  the  angels  of  God  ascend  and  descend. 
Hence  Paul  exhorts  that  prayers  should  be  made  for  all 
men. 

The  connection  with  what  precedes  is  tolerably  clear. 
Timothy  had  been  exhorted  to  wage  a  good  warfare  on 
behalf  of  the  truth,  but  prayer  for  himself  and  others  was 
essential  to  victory,  because  it  alone  would  bring  into  the 
field  of  conflict  the  unseen  powers  of  heaven.  Even  the 
Pagan  Greeks  were  said  to  be  inspired  in  their  fight 
against  the  Trojans  by  the  thought  that  the  gods  were  with 
them  ;  but  theirs  was  only  dim  and  superstitious  remem- 
brance of  the  truth  that  Heaven  fights  for  those  who  pray — • 


INTERCESSORY   PRAYER.  95 

as  Elisha  found  when  the  Syrians  encircled  the  city.  Prayer 
offered  by  the  Church  in  Ephesus,  in  Eome,  in  Jerusalem, 
received  answers  in  the  spiritual  victories  of  believers, 
and  in  the  effects  produced  through  their  witness-bearing 
upon  the  hearts  of  the  people.  And  this  exhortation, 
that  in  the  Christian  assemblies  prayers  should  be  offered 
"  for  all  men,"  has  come  running  down  the  groove  of  the 
centuries  to  our  own  time,  in  order  that  we  also  may  pay 
good  heed  to  it. 

I.  The  variety  of  prayer  is  indicated  by  the  use  of 
these  differing  phrases,  "  supplications,  prayers,  interces- 
sions, and  giving  of  thanks.  No  doubt  these  terms 
overlap  each  other,  and  are  not  intended  to  be  too 
rigidly  defined.  But  it  is  clear  that  the  apostle  refers 
(l)  to  those  simple  expressions  of  want  which  begin 
with  a  cry  for  pardon;  (2)  to  that  communion  with  God 
which  involves  an  habitual  listening  for  His  voice,  and  a 
natural  talking  with  Him  about  everything ;  and  (3)  to 
those  importunate  intercessions  for  others  which  are  most 
of  all  accordant  with  the  spirit  of  the  Great  Mediator. 
While  (4)  "  thanksgiving "  should  be  so  cultivated  that 
even  Christians  living  in  a  heathen  city,  with  diflSculties 
and  dangers  around  them  which  we  little  comprehend, 
would  nevertheless  find  it  natural. 

We  may  think  of  these  phrases  separately  in  order  to 
get  a  clearer  notion  of  the  meaning  of  each ;  but  one 
shades  off  into  another ;  and  you  can  no  more  exactly 
define  each  than  you  can  say  of  the  colours  of  a  sea  at 
sunset,  "  the  blue  begins  just  here,  and  the  glow  of 
crimson  and  the  sheen  of  the  gold  just  there." 


96  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

The  more  you  pray  the  more  you  will  discover  the 
variety  of  soul-utterances  to  God ;  the  calm  contempla- 
tion ;  the  agonising  supplication ;  the  childlike  talk  with 
the  Heavenly  Father ;  and  the  seraphic  praisefulness. 
These  are  only  known  through  experience.  When  the 
untaught,  unmusical  lad  takes  up  a  violin,  it  is  as  much 
as  he  can  do  to  produce  one  steady  tone,  but  in  the 
trained  hands  of  the  accomplished  musician  that  same 
instrument  wails,  and  pleads,  and  sings.  Much  more 
varied  are  the  utterances  of  the  human  soul,  when  a  full 
answer  is  given  to  the  prayer  of  the  disciples,  "  Lord, 
teach  us  to  pray." 

II.  The  subjects  of  prayer  specially  referred  to  in 
this  passage  are  not  the  necessities  of  the  saints  them- 
selves, but  the  wants  of  other  men,  and  especially  of  all 
those  who  had  authority  and  who  exercised  influence  over 
society. 

The  wide  and  generous  sympathies  inculcated  by  early 
Christian  teachers  must  have  appeared  very  startling, 
both  to  the  Jewish  people  and  to  the  Gentile  world. 
The  apostles,  taught  by  their  Divine  Master,  held  that 
God  had  "  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men  for  to 
dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,"  and  that  these  were 
mutually  dependent  and  could  unitedly  bring  about  the 
true  welfare  of  the  whole  race.  As  the  body  had  its 
many  members  which  were  animated  by  one  life,  each 
limb  and  organ  having  its  own  function,  yet  all  together 
ministering  to  the  good  of  the  one  man ;  so  was  it,  in 
their  eyes,  with  society  at  large,  as  well  as  with  the 
Church  of  God. 


INTERCESSORY    PRAYER.  97 

The  lesson  has  not  been  properly  learnt  yet.  If  it 
had  been,  wars  and  rumours  of  wars  would  have 
ceased  long  ago  ;  society  would  have  been  so  consciously 
stable  that  commerce  would  not  have  been  afraid  to 
venture  into  new  enterprises ;  untold  numbers  of  brave 
lives  would  have  been  spared,  and  millions  of  troubled 
hearts  would  have  been  delivered  from  their  agony  of 
dread  or  of  grief.  We  Christians  ought  to  pray  "  for 
kings,  and  for  all  that  are  in  authority,"  not  only  in  this 
country  but  in  other  lands,  that  evil  ambitions  may  be 
crushed  out  of  their  hearts ;  that  designs  prompted  by 
greed,  or  by  ambition,  or  by  revenge,  may  be  thwarted ; 
and  that  the  good  of  the  peoples  at  large,  rather  than  of 
a  few  sections  of  society,  may  be  promoted  by  the  universal 
prevalence  of  peace,  righteousness,  and  love. 

The  word  "  kings  "  in  this  verse  is  used  quite  gene- 
rally, just  as  it  was  by  our  Lord  when  He  said  to  His 
disciples,  "  Ye  shall  be  brought  before  governors,  and 
kings,  for  My  sake  and  the  Gospel's."  The  "  kings " 
were  heathen,  and  yet  were  to  be  included  in  the 
Church's  prayers,  with  a  charity  that  hoped  all  things, 
and  with  a  faith  that  believed  the  assurance,  "  The  king's 
heart  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  as  the  rivers  of  water : 
He  turneth  it  whithersoever  He  will."  In  this  respect 
the  conduct  of  Christians  was  a  contrast  to  that  of  the 
Jews,  for  it  was  in  apostolic  days  that  the  Jews  refused 
to  offer  sacrifices  and  prayers  for  foreigners.  Listen  to 
what  Tertullian  says  in  his  Apology  respecting  the  prac- 
tice of  these  early  Christians.  "  We  Christians,  looking 
up  to  heaven   with   outspread  hands,  because  they   are 


98  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

free  from  stain ;  with  uncovered  heads,  because  there  is 
nothing  to  make  us  blush ;  without  a  prompter,  because 
we  pray  from  our  hearts ;  do  intercede  for  all  emperors, 
that  their  lives  may  be  prolonged,  their  government  be 
secured  to  them,  that  their  families  may  be  preserved  in 
safety,  their  senates  faithful  to  them,  their  armies  brave, 
the  people  honest,  and  the  whole  empire  at  peace,  and 
for  whatever  other  things  are  desired  by  the  people  or 
the  Csesar."  If  that  was  the  custom  under  heathen  rule, 
how  much  more  is  it  our  duty  under  a  Christian  govern- 
ment !  Therefore  let  us  pray  that  our  national  affairs 
may  be  guided  with  wisdom ;  that  amidst  the  tortuous 
channels  of  foreign  policy,  where  so  many  cross  currents 
and  hidden  rocks  abound,  the  ship  of  state  may  be 
firmly  and  safely  steered ;  that  questions  likely  to  pro- 
voke anger  and  suspicion  may  be  settled  on  fair  prin- 
ciples of  justice ;  and  that  in  all  home  legislation 
inequalities  and  injustices  of  every  kind  may  be  swept 
away,  the  needs  of  a  chronic  pauperism  met,  temp- 
tations to  drunkenness  and  profligacy  lessened  where 
they  cannot  be  removed ;  and  thus  "  God,  even  our  own 
God,  will  bless  us,  and  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall 
fear  Him." 

We  may  fairly  widen  the  application  of  these  words 
still  further.  Some  of  our  truest  "  kings"  are  uncrowned. 
A  man  who  directs  and  rules  the  thought  of  a  nation 
has  more  power  than  one  who  gives  expression  to  it ; 
and  we  have  seen  instances  in  which  a  man  has  lost  far 
more  than  he  has  gained  by  exchanging  the  position  of 
an  editor  for  that  of  a  legislator.     Writers  for  the  press, 


INTERCESSORY    PRAYER.  99 

teachers  in  schools  and  universities,  leaders  in  society, 
organisers  and  chiefs  of  political  parties,  secretaries  of 
workmen's  organisations,  scientific  explorers  and  ex- 
pounders ;  these  are  among  the  "  kings "  of  the  earth 
for  whom  we  pray  that  they  may  bring  all  their  riches 
and  power  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

III.  The  Issue  of  such  Prayers  is  thus  described — 
"  That  we  may  lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life,  in  all 
godliness  and  honesty,"  or  rather  "  in  all  godliness  and 
gravity"  as  those  who  are  not  pei'turbed  by  earthly 
strifes,  but  see  in  the  state  of  society  around  them  the 
germs  of  the  righteousness  and  peace  which  are  of 
heaven. 

IV.  The  Acceptability  of  such  Prayers  in  the  sight 
of  God  is  expressly  asserted.  This  custom  of  prayer  (not 
this  state  of  society)  is  "  good  and  acceptable  in  the 
sight  of  God  our  Saviour,  who  will  have  all  men  to  be 
saved  and  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  Uie  truth."  In 
other  words,  if  His  love  embraces  all,  our  prayers  should 
include  all ;  for  it  is  through  His  Church  that  His  pur- 
poses are  accomplished,  and  through  its  neglect  men  may 
be  lost  whom  He  is  longing  to  save. 

This  verse  has  sometimes  been  pressed  into  the  service 
of  universalism,  and  Calvin,  therefore,  sought  to  limit  the 
meaning  of  the  phrase  "  all  men,"  to  all  sorts  of  men ; 
that  God  willed  to  save  kings  as  well  as  peasants.  Gen- 
tiles as  well  as  Jews.  But  there  is  no  need  for  that 
unjustifiable  limitation.  The  last  clause  in  the  verse, 
which  speaks  of  coming  to  a  full  knowledge  of  the  truth  as 
being  God's  will  concerning  us,  is  sufficient  to  indicate  the 


lOO  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

essential  condition  of  being  saved,  and  for  their  acceptance 
of  this  men  are  themselves  responsible.  But  we  Chris- 
tians are  to  exhibit  tlie  truth,  to  strive  to  win  men's 
affections  to  it,  to  pray  earnestly  that  they  may  submit 
themselves  to  it,  in  order  that  God's  message  of  good-will 
may  have  practical  effect  upon  all,  in  the  devout  belief  that 
God  is  not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that  all 
should  turn  from  their  wickedness  and  live.  "  And  the 
Spirit  and  the  Bride  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  heareth 
say.  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  who- 
soever will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely." 


(     loi     ) 


n. 

THE  ATONEMENT. 
(I  Tim.  ii.  5-7.) 

Paul  gives  this  as  his  reason  for  believing  that  God 
"  willeth  all  men  to  be  saved,"  and  that  His  people  should 
pray  for  their  salvation — that  we  are  all  related  to  one 
God  and  to  the  one  Mediator.  God  is  "  one  God,"  not 
two  or  more  gods,  as  the  neighbours  of  Timothy  in 
Ephesus  believed.  There  is  not  one  God  for  the  Gentiles 
and  another  for  the  Jews ;  one  God  for  Englishmen  and 
another  for  Arabs  and  Russians  ;  one  God  for  the  rich  and 
another  for  the  poor  ;  one  God  who  works  evil  and  another 
who  does  good ;  but  before  the  same  Eternal  King  we  all 
stand  on  equal  footing,  and  to  Him  we  may  all  turn  with 
the  same  confidence. 

I.  The  Necessity  for  a  Mediator  is,  however,  dis- 
tinctly implied.  "  There  is  one  God  and  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  man — Himself  man,  Christ  Jesus."  The 
true  humanity  of  our  Lord  we  thankfully  recognise.  In 
Him  God  has  come  near  to  us,  and  revealed  Himself  to 
us,  therefore  Jesus  said,  "  I  and  the  Father  are  one." 
And  again,  "  He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father." 
Christ  is  a  true  Mediator,  because  He  blends  two  natures 


102  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

in  His  own,  the  Divine  and  the  human.  When  a  man  is 
down  in  a  horrible  pit,  a  rope  dangling  above  him  would 
be  a  mockery  if  it  were  far  out  of  his  reach  ;  and  a  ladder 
set  in  the  miry  clay  beside  him  would  be  equally  useless, 
if  the  ground  above  were  at  an  unreachable  distance  from 
its  highest  rung.  The  only  means  of  communication, 
which  can  bring  him  salvation,  must  reach  the  sunlit 
plain  above  him,  and  yet  be  within  his  grasp.  So  is  it 
with  the  "  one  Mediator."  As  the  God-man  He  reigns 
in  the  highest,  yet  reaches  the  lowest,  and  as  the  Son 
of  man  rather  than  the  Son  of  David  or  the  Son  of 
Abraham,  He  touches  every  man,  whatever  his  race  or 
condition. 

II.  The  Essence  of  the  Atonement  appears  in  the 
statement  that  He,  the  Mediator,  Christ  Jesus,  "  gave 
Himself  a  ransom  for  all." 

The  Bible,  which  is  the  only  explicit  declaration  we 
have  about  God's  dealing  with  sin,  constantly  asserts, 
not  in  isolated  texts,  but  in  its  whole  tenor,  that  men 
were  out  of  harmony  with  God,  and  that  but  for  the  in- 
terposition of  Jesus  Christ  they  would  have  perished  in 
their  sins.  But  in  His  infinite  love  the  Eternal  Word 
became  man,  and  in  His  Divine-human  life  He  accepted 
for  Himself  the  conditions  which  had  bound  sin  and  death 
together,  and  broke  the  spell  of  sin  and  exhausted  the 
curse  of  death.  The  idea  of  substitution,  however  little  it 
commends  itself  to  the  judgment  of  some  who  have  often 
very  imperfectly  considered  it,  is  unquestionably  involved 
in  this.  The  Greek  word  translated  here  "  ransom,"  means 
the  redemption  price  paid  for  the  deliverance  of  a  slave  or 


THE    ATONEMENT.  103 

captive,  and  when  Jesus  "gave  Himself"  (not  money  or 
power)  a  ransom  for  all,  He  was  like  one  wlio  takes  the 
place  of  a  prisoner  that  the  prisoner  may  go  free.  If  the 
captive  refuses  freedom  he  perishes,  but  the  love  of  his 
would-be  deliverer  is  none  the  less.  Man's  escape  from 
the  dominion  of  sin  and  death  is  not  possible  through 
evolution  or  development,  but  through  Divine  interposi- 
tion, which  is  revealed  in  the  Christ,  "  who  gave  Himself 
a  ransom  for  all." 

Most  of  those  who  have  rejected  this  great  doctrine 
have  done  so  because  they  have  had  pressed  home  upon 
them  only  one  phase  of  it — as  if  that  were  in  itself  a 
complete  and  satisfactory  account  of  a  profound  mystery. 
The  Atonement  has  sometimes  been  spoken  of  as  a  sort  of 
legal  transaction,  having  no  essential  bearing  upon  moral 
character,  which  will  procure  acquittal  for  the  sinner  at 
the  bar  of  judgment  without  setting  him  free  from  the 
usurpation  of  sin.  Hence  thouglitful  men  have  said — "  I 
cannot  receive  that  doctrine  ;  I  should  not  be  content  to  be 
exempted  from  punishment  which  I  deserved  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  transferred  to  some  one  else  who  did  not 
deserve  it.  It  would  neither  be  just  nor  generous."  And 
the  reply  is  conclusive  and  deserved,  as  condemning  the 
partial  view  of  the  Atonement  as  if  it  were  the  whole. 
But  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ  tells  us  far  more.  It  de- 
clares that  God  so  loves  us  that  He  cannot  rest  till  He 
delivers  us  from  sin ;  that  He  would  make  any  sacrifice 
for  such  an  end,  and  that  by  the  exhibition  of  His  love 
and  the  transforming  power  of  His  Spirit,  he  would  con- 
form us  to  the   likeness  of  His    Son,  that  we  may  be 


I04  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

partakers  of  His  death  and  of  His  life,  becoming  dead 
to  sin  and  alive  to  righteousness. 

I.  The  Godward  side  of  the  Atonement  is  as  important 
as  it  is  mysterious,  but  it  is  not  to  be  insisted  upon  as  if 
it  were  all.  The  Scripture  asserts  again  and  again  in 
types  and  in  texts  that  it  is  in  virtue  of  the  death  of 
Christ  that  God  can  justly  forgive ;  that  except  for  His 
sacrifice  the  Divine  love  could  not  reach  us  ;  that  by  Him 
satisfaction  was  made  to  the  law  of  God,  and  that  pardon 
was  not,  and  could  not  be,  a  bare  act  of  grace.  All  who 
accept  that  assurance  and  turn  in  penitence  and  confidence 
to  God,  are  at  once  fully  and  freely  forgiven. 

These  statements  are  beyond  proof.  They  concern  a 
sphere  of  existence  about  which  we  know  absolutely 
nothing  except  what  is  revealed  in  Scripture.  They  have 
to  do  with  the  relations  between  the  Eternal  Father  and 
the  Only  Begotten  Son,  about  which  the  wisest  of  us  are 
profoundly  ignorant.  We  do  not  understand  how  the 
law  of  the  Father  required  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son,  nor 
how  the  death  of  the  God-man  affected  the  purpose  of  the 
Father  ;  but  are  we  to  say,  therefore,  that  there  is  no 
connection  between  them  ?  Is  that  the  only  mystery  in 
life  ?  Why,  what  do  you  know  of  your  own  existence  in 
its  deeper  relations  ?  You  cannot  understand  how  two 
natures  can  inhere  in  one  and  the  same  person — the  one 
being  affected  by  the  other  in  subtle  and  yet  intimate 
ways ;  yet  you  believe  that  you  yourself  have  those  two 
natures — the  physical,  which  will  soon  be  left  in  the 
grave ;  the  psychical,  which  is  so  dependent  on  it,  yet  so 
independent  of  it.     If  you  do  not  understand  the  relation 


THE    ATONEMENT.  IO5 

between  your  own  double  personality  ;  if  you  do  not  know 
how  the  brain  affects  thought,  how  thought  uses  the  brain, 
how  can  you  hope  to  bring  within  the  compass  of  your 
definitions  the  relations  between  the  Father  and  the  Son  ; 
between  the  death  on  the  cross  which  was  visible  and  the 
effect  of  it  on  Divine  righteousness,  which  is  invisible. 
A  God  I  could  comprehend  would  be  no  God  to  me. 

Yet  it  has  been  a  frequent  and  grievous  mistake  of 
popular  theology  to  dwell  upon  this  aspect  of  the  Atone- 
ment only  as  if  it  contained  the  whole  truth.  But  we 
must  also  remember  that  Christ's  giving  of  Himself  as  a 
ransom  for  all  was  meant  to  have  its  influence  on  human 
hearts.     This  leads  us  to  contemplate — 

2.  The  man-ward  side  of  the  Atonement.  Before  the 
advent  of  our  Lord,  men  had  come  to  doubt  and  even  to 
deny  that  God  loved  them.  They  regarded  Him  as  a  hard 
and  austere  Being,  who  required  to  be  placated  by  gifts  and 
sacrifices.  It  did  not  occur  to  them  as  possible  that  God 
would  Himself  make  the  atonement ;  that  He  had  never 
ceased  to  love  them,  and  was  ready  to  bear  and  do  any- 
thing which  might  redeem  them  from  sin  and  restore 
them  to  Himself.  But  "  He  so  loved  the  world  that  He 
gave  His  only  begotten  Son."  "  He  spared  not  His  own 
Son,  but  delivered  Him  up  for  us  all."  He  commendeth 
His  love  to  us  in  that  "  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ 
died  for  the  ungodly." 

The  Cross  of  Calvary  assured  the  world  that  the  Divine 
love,  even  for  sinners,  was  capable  of  the  utmost  self- 
sacrifice,  which  taught  many  to  say,  "  We  love  Him  because 
He  first  loved  us." 


Io6  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

But  there  is  yet  another  phase  of  Christ's  atoning  work 
which  must  not  be  lost  sight  of.  We  have  seen  that  it 
vindicated  Divine  law,  and  revealed  Divine  love  so  as 
to  touch  the  hearts  of  those  who  saw  it,  but  it  was  meant 
also  to  exert  an  ethical  influence  over  men. 

3.  The  moral  iwiocr  of  the,  Atonement.  Many  sneer  at 
professing  Christians  as  men  who  persuade  themselves 
that  they  are  relieved  from  tlie  punishment  of  sin,  but 
who  show  no  signs  whatever  of  being  redeemed  from  its 
power.  They  jeer  at  those  also  who  talk  with  effusive 
sentiment  of  the  love  of  God,  but  who  fail  to  display  a 
righteous  and  manly  character.  But  love  such  as  God 
calls  for,  and  the  sacrifice  of  Calvary  demands,  is  really 
a  strong  and  active  affection  ;  indeed,  we  are  told  that 
"  love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."  It  draws  us  from 
sin  to  righteousness,  breaks  the  power  of  evil,  heals  our 
wounds,  and  washes  away  our  stains  ;  and,  through  "  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,"  we  are  able  to  walk  as  those  clothed 
in  white  robes.  Christ  bore  our  sins  in  His  own  body 
on  the  tree,  in  order  that  we  might  be  dead  to  sin  and 
alive  unto  righteousness.  "  He  gave  Himself  a  ransom 
for  all." 

I  have  thus  indicated  the  three  directions  in  which 
your  thoughts  should  run  if  you  wish  to  understand  the 
Scripture  doctrine  of  the  Atonement.  It  is  at  once  a  pro- 
pitiation for  sin,  a  claim  on  our  love,  and  the  mightiest 
moral  force  the  world  has  known ;  but  we  do  not  com- 
prehend it  by  all  our  searching.  Our  knowledge  is  only 
like  that  of  one  who  has  explored  a  tiny  island  which  is 
surrounded  by  an  infinite  sea  of  mystery,  and,  when  we 


THE    ATONEMENT.  IO7 

reach  the  limits  of  our  furthest  shore,  we  can  only  ador- 
ingly say,  "Oh  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom 
and  knowledge  of  God !  how  unsearchable  are  His  judg- 
ments, and  His  ways  past  finding  out!"  Our  one  comfort 
is  that,  in  every  time  of  darkness  and  storm,  we,  like  the 
disciples  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  can  see  the  Lord  Jesus 
walking  on  the  waves  of  mystery ;  and  we  can  even  walk 
a  little  way  with  Him  so  long  as  by  faith  we  hold  His 
mighty,  loving  hand. 

III.  The  pkopagation  of  this  fundamental  truth 
through  the  world  is  to  depend  upon  human  testimony, 
Paul  says  that  he  himself  was  a  living  witness  of  it,  for 
none  who  knew  what  he  had  been  and  had  now  become 
could  doubt  that  God  was  willing  that  all  men  should  be 
saved  and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  And 
he  had  been  also  appointed  as  a  "  preacher  and  apostle  " 
of  these  glad  tidings  to  the  Gentiles,  in  order  that  by 
proclaiming  the  "  truth  "  he  might  help  them  to  "  faith  " 
in  God. 

This,  brethren,  is  our  duty  too.  It  may  be  that  we 
have  not  any  remarkable  gifts  like  Paul's,  but  we  may 
reveal  to  others  the  power  of  Christ  to  save  from  sin,  if 
only  we  ourselves  experience  that  power.  A  holy  life  is 
more  mighty  than  the  most  eloquent  sermon,  and  through 
it  each  one  of  us,  however  lowly  in  position,  may  make  a 
good  confession,  and  testify  to  God's  saving  power  "in 
due  time,"  in  its  own  time — while  mercy  is  within  reach 
of  all. 

But  since  we  are  only  strong  when  we  wait  upon  God, 


I08  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

and  can  only  witness  for  Him  when,  like  Moses,  we  come 
forth  from  His  immediate  presence,  let  us  carry  in  our 
hearts  this  exhortation  of  Paul's — "  I  will,  therefore,  that 
men  pray  everywhere,  lifting  up  holy  hands,  without 
wrath  and  doubting." 


(     109     ) 


in. 

ON  PRAYER. 
(i  Tim.  il  8.) 

In  this  verse  the  apostle  recurs  to  the  subject  of  prayer, 
upon  which  he  had  spoken  at  the  beginning  of  the 
chapter.  Prayer  is  such  an  essential  habit  in  any  real 
Christian  life,  and  is  so  necessary  to  the  spiritual  progress 
of  the  Church,  that  it  could  not  be  too  often  referred  to, 
the  more  so  as  God  is  ever  listening  for  it.  A  dumb 
child  in  the  family  must  be  a  continual  grief  to  his 
father,  and  a  child  who  is  silent  from  indifference  or 
from  aversion  would  rend  his  heart  still  more ;  yet  we, 
knowing  this,  are  slow  to  believe  that  God  is  grieved  and 
angry  over  the  prayerless.  The  Revised  Version  renders 
the  Greek  more  correctly  by  the  phrase,  "  I  desire  there- 
fore "  that  men  pray  everywhere,  for  no  "  will "  or  resolve 
of  Paul's  could  make  men  pray.  He  could  counsel,  but 
he  could  not  command  this  expression  of  longing  towards 
God,  and  still  less  can  any  minister  or  parent  give  the 
spirit  of  prayer.  We  can  determine  the  times  to  be  set 
apart  for  such  worship,  and  we  may  provide  forms  of 
prayer  to  be  employed  by  those  who  choose  to  use  them, 
but  praying  is  no  more  to  be  commanded  than  loving. 


I  I O  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

The  child  may  learn  the  simple  phrases  which  have  been 
used  for  generations  by  little  ones  when  they  have  gone 
to  the  throne  of  grace,  but  the  mother  who  yearns  over 
the  child  as  he  kneels  can  do  no  more  than  say,  "  I 
desire  you  to  pray ; "  and  must  leave  it  to  the  Great 
Inspirer  of  all  holy  desire  to  give  speech  to  the  dumb 
soul,  longing  to  the  unawakened  heart,  and  so  to  answer 
the  petition,  "  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray." 

I.  The  Universality  of  Prayer  was  a  Divinely-given 
conception  of  the  apostle's.  Not  only  did  he  desire  prayer 
to  be  oflfered  for  all  men  by  Christians,  as  he  says  in  the 
first  verse,  but  that  "  all  men,  everywhere,"  should  pray 
— till  heaven  be  linked  with  this  world  by  bonds  as 
numberless  as  the  rays  of  sunlight,  which  make  a  golden 
ladder  between  the  earth  and  the  sun.  No  doubt  the 
primary  reference  is  to  the  Christian  assemblies,  from 
which  intercessions  were  continually  to  arise ;  but  more 
is  implied  than  this — namely,  that  all  places  are  sacred, 
that  from  cathedrals  and  from  hovels,  from  happy 
gatherings  in  our  homes,  and  from  secret  places  of 
wrestling  and  agony,  from  quiet  rooms  where  the  sick 
are  wasting,  and  from  noisy  haunts  of  bustling  activity, 
praises  and  prayers  should  rise  toward  God. 

"  From  every  place  below  the  skies, 
The  grateful  song,  the  fervent  pruyer, 
The  incense  of  the  heart,  may  rise 
To  heaven  and  find  acceptance  there." 

"  I  will,  therefore,  that  men  pray  everywhere" 

II.  The  Spirit  of  Prayer  is  indicated  very  clearly  in 
the  words  which  follow.      Allusion  is  made  in  them  to 


ON   PRAYER.  Ill 

the  outward  form  of  prayer — or  rather  to  the  attitude  of 
supplication  which  was  usual  among  the  Jews — as  we 
may  judge  from  such  passages  as  that  in  which  David 
says,  "  Hear  the  voice  of  my  supplications  when  I  cry 
unto  Thee ;  when  I  lift  up  my  hands  towards  Thy  holy 
oracle."  But  there  is  a  deeper  significance  in  Paul's 
words  than  an  allusion  to  attitude,  when  he  speaks  of — 

1.  Holy  hands  being  lifted  up  in  prayer.  He  implies 
that  if  our  hands  are  defiled  by  iniquity,  or  are  stained 
with  blood,  or  are  desecrated  by  the  handling  of  ill-gotten 
gold,  we  have  no  right  to  pose  as  the  priests  of  the 
world.  If  we  regard  iniquity  in  our  hearts,  the  Lord 
will  not  hear  us.  The  defiled  conscience  and  the  unre- 
pented  sin  are  insurmountable  barriers  between  us  and 
God,  until  we  remember  the  gracious  words,  "If  we 
confess  our  sins.  He  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our 
sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

To  the  qualification  for  priesthood,  which  is  found  in 
cleansed  hands,  must  be  added  that  of — 

2.  Loving  hearts.  In  praying  we  ought  to  be  "  with- 
out," that  is,  "  delivered  from,"  "  wrath  and  doubting,"  or 
rather  from  wrath  and  disputatiousness — being  free  from 
all  revengeful  feeling  and  quarrelsomeness.  Has  not 
forgetfulness  of  this  often  prevented  answers  to  prayers  ? 
When,  for  example,  there  prevails  in  a  Church  bitterness 
of  feeling  between  those  who  lead  the  devotions,  when 
suspicion  and  distrust  destroy  the  fellowship  of  believers, 
or  when  anger  and  resentment  are  being  harboured,  how 
can  we  sincerely  join  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  every  clause  of 
which  is  a  test  of  our  likeness  to  Him,  and  say,  "  Forgive 


I  I  2  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

US  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  them  that  trespass 
against  us,"  No  amount  of  stress  laid  upon  the  subse- 
quent petition,  "  Thy  kingdom  come,"  will  make  up  for 
the  paralysing  effect  of  using  that  earlier  prayer  as  an 
empty  form.  "  If  then,  thou  remember  that  thy  brother 
hath  aught  against  thee,  leave  there  thy  gift  before  the 
altar,  and  go  thy  way ;  first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother, 
and  then  come  and  offer  thy  gift,  or  thy  prayer,"  I  will, 
therefore,  that  men  pray  everywhere,  lifting  up  holy 
hands,  without  wrath  and  disputatiousness. 


(     113     ) 


IV. 

WOMAN'S  TRUE  DIGNITY. 
(i  Tim.  ii.  9,  10.) 

It  seems  at  first  sight  rather  an  abrupt  descent  into  a 
lower  sphere  when  Paul  turns  from  the  prayers  of  the 
Church  to  the  dress  of  the  women ;  and  there  are  not 
wanting  those  who  would  expunge  from  the  New  Testa- 
ment, if  they  could,  much  that  was  written  by  the  apostle 
on  this  and  on  some  kindred  subjects.  Probably  if  they 
knew,  as  he  did,  the  state  of  society  in  which  these 
women  were  living  and  their  miserable  upbringing,  all 
their  right-minded  sisters  would  now  approve,  without 
stint  or  hesitation,  every  word  that  he  wrote.  That  Paul 
thought  of  women  then,  exactly  as  he  would  have  thought 
of  women  now,  no  impartial  student  of  those  times  would 
affirm ;  because,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  women  themselves, 
from  the  training  they  received  and  from  the  estimation 
in  which  they  knew  themselves  to  be  held,  were  naturally 
inferior  to  what  they  are  now  that  centuries  have  passed 
since  their  emancipation  and  ennoblement  by  Christianity. 
If  we  lived  in  Turkey  or  in  India,  we  should  be  better  able 
to  appreciate  the  wisdom  of  Paul's  counsel  in  respect  to  the 
women  of  his  day ;  and  I  am  not  prepared  to  mitigate  or 


114  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

to  apologise  for  his  brave  and  wise  words.  Remember  it 
was  due  to  him  more  than  to  any  other  apostle  that  women 
had  been  so  far  emancipated  as  they  were  when  this  Epistle 
was  written,  for  it  was  he  who  had  taught  that  in  Christ 
■  Jesus  there  was  neither  male  nor  female.  But  he  grieved 
over  some  of  the  evils  which  at  first  arose  from  the  great 
changes  effected  in  their  social  position.  Seclusion  had 
been  rigorously  maintained  by  the  customs  of  those  Eastern 
cities.  The  picture  in  the  Royal  Academy,  which  repre- 
sents a  young  girl,  with  slippers  in  her  hand,  drawing  aside 
the  curtain  of  the  seraglio,  and  stepping  across  the  body 
of  a  black  slave,  who  is  sleeping  with  naked  sword  in 
his  hand,  fairly  represents  the  slave-like  treatment  of 
women  in  Ephesus  in  Paul's  days.  Indeed,  even  among 
the  Jews,  the  women  who  came  to  the  synagogue  were 
(and  still  are)  kept  out  of  sight  in  a  carefully  screened 
gallery.  It  was  therefore  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the 
Christian  women  emancipated  from  such  treatment  felt 
themselves  not  only  at  liberty  to  assert  their  new-born 
rights  but  bound  to  do  so,  and  that  they  claimed  a  pro- 
minence and  a  freedom  which  were  good  neither  for  them- 
selves nor  for  the  Church.  And  we  must  not  forget  that,  so 
far  as  women  had  greater  publicity  in  the  heathen  cities,  it 
was  at  the  risk  of  the  virtuous  reputation  which  Christians 
would  be  the  most  anxious  to  preserve.  The  priestesses  of 
the  temples,  for  example,  were  notoriously  immoral,  and  the 
Hetairae  were  not  only  a  recognised,  but  even  a  respect- 
able class  in  Pagan  society.  You  can  see,  therefore, 
what  boundless  possibilities  of  evil  were  opened  up  by 
the  prominence  women  were  claiming  for  themselves  in 


WOMAN  S    TRUE   DIGNITY.  II5 

Christian  assemblies  in  those  cities.  There  were  dangers 
threatening  their  moral  character,  exemplified  in  Corinth, 
and  others  which  afiected  their  reputation,  which  Paul 
recognised  in  Ephesus.  This  glance  at  the  condition  of 
Ephesian  society,  which  will  not  bear  close  description,  is 
sufficient  to  indicate  some  of  the  reasons  Paul  had  for 
his  teaching  here  on  the  true  dignity  of  woman. 

I.  He  speaks  of  it  first  negatively,  declaring  that  her 
dignity  does  not  depend  upon  outward  adornment ;  and 
this  is  always  and  everywhere  true.  It  is  probable  that 
the  women  who  came  to  the  Christian  assemblies  in 
Ephesus  arrayed  themselves  in  costly  attire,  and  some- 
times made  unbecoming  display  of  their  personal  charms 
till  the  custom  was  becoming  the  sensation,  if  not  the 
scandal,  of  the  city.  And,  though  Paul  was  well  aware 
that  the  ladies  would  resent  his  interference  in  such  a 
matter,  he  boldly  condemned,  just  as  Peter  did,  and  in 
almost  the  same  language,  their  love  of  dress  and  display. 
"  Adorn  yourselves,"  said  he,  "  in  modest  (or  seemly) 
apparel ;  not  with  powdered  hair,  or  gold,  or  pearls,  or 
costly  array." 

Now,  these  plain  words  are  not  without  just  applica- 
tion now.  Of  course,  they  are  not  to  be  too  literally 
interpreted ;  but  the  principle  underlying  them  is  sound 
and  Christian.  No  one  professing  godliness  ought  to 
spend  time,  and  taste,  and  money  to  the  extent  many  do 
on  mere  personal  adornment,  as  if  the  body  was  every- 
thing and  the  mind  nothing,  or  as  if  the  chief  end  of  a 
woman's  life  was  to  win  admiration  not  respect,  to  please 
man  and  not  God.     Even  from  a  lower  standpoint  it  is  a 

9 


Il6  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

mistake,  and  I  ventui*e  to  think  that  many  a  marriage 
has  been  prevented,  and  many  a  possibly  happy  home  is 
fraught  with  anxiety,  because  of  an  expenditure  on  dress, 
which  cannot  be  reasonably  or  rightly  met.  There  are 
lives  which  might  have  been  unspeakably  happier  if  only 
they  had  been  united,  if  the  two  young  people  had  been 
content  to  face  the  world  together  with  plain  fare  and 
simple  habits.  Anything  which  fosters  love  of  dress, 
vanity,  and  display,  whether  it  be  found  in  companionship 
or  in  amusement,  ought  resolutely  and  for  Christ's  sake 
to  be  put  away.  Listen  to  John  Euskin,  "  I  say  further, 
that  as  long  as  there  are  cold  and  nakedness  in  the  land 
around  you,  so  long  can  there  be  no  question  at  all  but/*^ 
that  splendour  of  dress  is  a  crime."  Slovenliness  and 
carelessness  no  Christian  should  ever  be  guilty  of,  but 
the  true  follower  of  the  Lord  cannot  let  the  mind  be 
much  occupied  by  mere  questions  of  appearance  and 
dress. 

IL  Woman's  dignity  is  next  set  forth  positively. — 
"  I  will,"  says  Paul,  "  that  women  adorn  themselves  in 

1.  "  Modest  apjjarel,  with  shamefastness  and  sohriety" 
— It  is  curious  that  in  modern  reprints  of  the  English 
version  the  foolish  and  unmeaning  word  "  shamefaced- 
ness"  should  have  crept  in,  for  it  was  evidently  substi- 
tuted by  some  wiseacre  among  the  printers  instead  of  the 
expressive  and  beautiful  word  "  shamefastness."  In  the 
English  Hexapla,  I  see  that  Wyclif,  Tyndale,  and  Cranmer, 
and  the  original  Authorised  Version  of  1 6 1  i ,  all  use  that 
word,  which  is  restored  in  the  Revised  Version.  It  ex- 
presses, as  well  as  any  word  can,  the  idea  in  the  Greek, 


WOMAN  S   TRUE    DIGNITY.  I  I  7 

which  denotes  the  inward  feeling  which  will  not  permit 
any  overpassing  of  womanly  modesty  and  reserve,  and 
which  will  turn  with  loathing  from  that  which  is  evil  as 
that  which  cannot  be  looked  upon  or  thought  about. 
And  this  is  conjoined  with  "  sobriety  "  or  with  self-rule, 
which  exercises  absolute  control  over  every  passion  and 
every  pleasure.  No  one  can  overrate  the  influence  of 
these.  Society  owes  its  tone  more  to  women  than  to 
men.  What  they  frown  upon  will  be  tabooed;  what  they 
thoughtlessly  tolerate  will  grow  in  evil  influence.  There- 
fore, let  every  woman  keep  up  the  tone  of  the  conversa- 
tion in  which  she  takes  part ;  let  her  exact  the  respect 
and  even  the  reverence  which  is  due  to  her  sex,  and  dis- 
courage at  the  very  beginning  the  flippancy  and  famili- 
arity too  common  in  society ;  and  let  her  loathing  of 
every  form  of  vice  be  so  evident  that  from  her  pure  pre- 
sence it  will  shrink  away  abashed  as  from  an  angel  of 
light. 

2 .  But  in  addition  to  this  influence,  which  may  he  almost 
unconsciously  exercised,  the  Christian  woman  is  to  adorn 
herself  with  "good  worhs"  She  often  does  this  behind 
the  veil  which  is  drawn  over  every  home.  There  are 
those  whose  "  good  works "  are  noble  in  their  self- 
sacrifice  and  far-reaching  in  their  issues  of  whom  the 
Church  hears  little.  Mothers  teaching  and  warning 
their  children ;  wives  pleading  again  and  again  with 
wayward,  erring  husbands ;  and  patient  with  them  still 
though  all  else  have  lost  hope;  sisters  leading  their 
brothers  with  the  strong  hand  of  affection  in  the  paths 
of  purity  and  truth.      Many  a  man  can  sympathise  with 


I  1  8  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

that  soldier  who  said,  "  I  can  stand  before  the  enemy, 
but  I  cannot  stand  before  my  sister's  prayers."  And 
who  does  not  know  of  more  public  work  done  by 
Christian  women — such  as  that  of  our  visitors  and 
Sunday-school  teachers ;  of  saintly  pleaders  with  the 
drunkards  and  the  profligate ; — of  noble  women  whose 
writings  have  purged  the  atmosphere  of  moral  corrup- 
tion ;  of  heroines  like  Florence  Nightingale  and  Sister 
Dora,  who  have  trodden  closely  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
Lord.  These  have  been  clothed  with  "  good  works." 
They  have  been  their  robe  of  adornment,  their  "  habit " 
which  gives  them  likeness  to  the  angels. 

*'  Oh,  what  makes  woman  lovely  ?    Virtue,  faith, 
And  gentleness  in  sufifering  ;  an  endurance 
Through  scorn  or  trial :  these  call  beauty  forth, 
Give  it  the  stamp  celestial,  and  admit  it 
To  sisterhood  with  angels  ! " 


(     119     ) 


V. 

THE  POSITION  OF  WOMAN. 

(i  Tim.  ii,  11-15.) 

This  was — 

I.  A  Bold  Declaration  on  the  part  of  the  apostle. 
"  Let  the  woman  learn  in  silence  (or  rather  in  quietness) 
with  all  subjection,  for  I  suffer  not  a  woman  to  teach,  nor 
to  usurp  authority  over  the  man,  but  to  be  in  quietness ;" 
but  the  course  he  followed  in  this  matter  was  wise,  in 
the  condition  of  life  then  prevailing.  In  our  days  there 
is  no  doubt  a  change  of  those  conditions,  which  would 
make  the  rigorous  application  of  such  a  rule  unwise  and 
unjust.  Women,  in  larger  numbers  now  than  then,  are 
of  necessity  independent,  and  are  compelled  to  earn  their 
own  livelihood,  and  make  their  own  homes ;  and  being, 
in  some  respects,  the  weaker,  they  should  have  no 
artificial  barriers  put  in  the  way  of  their  doing  so. 
There  are  disabilities,  the  relics  of  feudal  times,  which 
slowly,  yet  surely,  are  being  swept  away,  though  much 
still  remains  to  be  done.  Under  our  Euglish  laws,  for 
example,  a  woman  may  be  compelled  to  pay  taxes, 
though  she  has  no  right  to  influence  the  election  of  those 
who  impose  them — as  her  gardener  or  coachman  may  do  ; 


120  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

she  may  have  won  property,  or  wage,  whicli  until  lately 
she  had  no  right  to  call  her  own.  Acts  of  cruelty  perpe- 
trated upon  her  by  her  husband  bring  upon  him  but  a 
trifling  punishment,  and  gross  wrong  which  will  ruin 
her  whole  future  may  be  committed,  at  less  risk  to  the 
criminal  than  if  he  shot  a  pheasant  in  a  neighbouring 
wood.  Injustice  is  not  out  of  our  statute-books  yet,  and 
no  one  would  have  led  a  crusade  against  it  more  vigorously 
than  Paul.  While  the  law  is  thus  open  to  improvement, 
and  society  too,  there  has  been  such  advance  made  among 
women  that  they  are  far  more  fitted  intellectually  and 
morally  than  in  Paul's  day  for  taking  part  in  the  work 
of  the  Church.  We  readily  admit  and  heartily  rejoice 
over  this  fact,  and  acknowledge  that  the  Church's  work 
would  be  paralysed  if  left  to  men  only.  But  the  general 
law  laid  down  by  Paul  still  holds  good.  The  public 
work  of  life,  whether  in  the  world  or  in  the  Church,  is, 
broadly  speaking,  not  woman's  but  man's.  His  is  the 
life  of  turmoil,  hers  of  quietude.  She  is  receptive ;  he 
is  aggressive :  and  it  is  not  so  much  in  her  conspicuous 
activity  as  in  her  yielding  affectionateness  that  her  true 
strength  is  found.  Does  any  one  say  this  is  claiming  for 
man  what  is  best,  and  giving  to  woman  what  is  inferior  ? 
I  point  you  to  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  at  the 
beginning  of  His  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  to  prove  that  in 
the  judgment  of  God  the  very  reverse  is  true.  When  He 
said,  "  Blessed  are  the  meek,  blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,  blessed  are  the  peacemakers,"  did  He  not  mean 
that  in  those  qualities  the  highest  bliss  is  to  be  found  ? 
Nay,    His   own   example,  and   His   death   on   the   cross, 


THE   POSITION   OP  WOMAN.  121 

suffice  to  teach  us  that  it  is  through  submission  and  self- 
abnegatiou  that  the  highest  throne  is  won.  In  the 
apostle's  view  it  was  woman's  province  to  exhibit  the 
loftiest  ideal  of  the  Divine  life ;  and  if  she  imperiously 
claims  to  be  the  teacher  and  ruler  of  man,  she  reverses 
the  Divine  order,  and  loses  her  distinctive  vocation  in  the 
economy  of  God.      This  the  apostle  proceeds  to  show — 

II.  By  a  Scriptural  Argument. — He  goes  back  to 
Eden  for  a  justification  of  his  teaching — for  he  was 
accustomed  to  regard  the  facts  of  the  Old  Testament 
as  symbolical  and  parabolical  sources  of  perpetual  instruc- 
tion— and  he  finds  in  the  creation  and  in  the  fall  of  our 
first  parents  an  illustration  of  the  relations  of  the  sexes. 
"  Adam  was  first  formed,"  says  he,  "  then  Eve."  Man's 
priority  in  creation,  standing  as  he  did  alone  and  in 
immediate  relation  to  God,  was  an  indication  of  his 
place  and  power,  as  having  the  headship  over  her 
whom  God  made  to  be  his  helpmeet.  But  if  the  help- 
meet becomes  the  head,  and  the  head  weakly  yields, 
there  comes  an  overthrow  of  the  Divine  order,  as  there 
did  come  in  Paradise. 

The  next  verse  plainly  states  how  the  violation  of 
primeval  order  brought  about  disaster,  and  this  is  evi- 
dently adduced  as  an  example  of  the  evil  which  would 
arise  if  in  the  management  of  affairs  woman  should  quit 
her  proper  sphere.  Practical  shrewdness  and  discern- 
ment ;  the  firm  and  regulative  judgment  which  should 
characterise  the  ruler,  are  less  hers  than  man's.  Her 
very  excellencies,  connected  as  they  are  with  the  finer 
sensibilities  and  the  stronger  impulses  of  a  noble   and 


122  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

loving  nature,  disqualify  her  for  the  headship,  whereas 
the  balance  in  man's  nature  is  the  other  way ;  in  the 
direction  of  the  intellectual  and  the  governing.  For- 
getting this,  Eve  affected  to  decide  a  testing  question  for 
herself  and  her  husband,  and  she  was  overreached  by 
a  more  subtle  and  ruthless  intelligence — "  the  serpent 
beguiled  her ;  she  was  deceived."  But  it  is  here  asserted 
that  "  Adam  was  not  deceived,"  and  was  therefore  more 
guilty,  because  with  his  eyes  open  to  the  wrong  he 
yielded  to  conjugal  love.  In  other  words,  the  will  and 
the  judgment  were  sacrificed  to  the  affections  —  the 
essence  of  moral  fall. 

Now  this  may  seem  a  far-fetched  argument  to  some, 
but  it  would  not  be  easy  to  find  a  more  vivid  illustration 
of  the  essential  difference  between  the  masculine  and  the 
feminine  natures,  and  it  is  this  difference  which  is  the 
basis  of  the  apostle's  argument  for  the  counsel  he  has 
been  giving  here.  But  between  those  so  different  in 
nature  there  need  be  no  contest  as  to  inferiority  and 
superiority,  any  more  than  between  the  beauty  of  the 
flower  or  the  beauty  of  the  mountain  on  whose  side  it 
blooms. 

"  The  woman's  cause  is  man's.     They  rise  or  sink 
Together.     Dwarfed  or  godlike,  bond  or  free  ; 
If  she  be  small,  slight-natured,  miserable, 
How  shall  men  grow  ?  .  .  .  Let  her  be 
All  that  not  harms  distinctive  womanhood  ; 
For  woman  is  not  undeveloped  man. 
But  diverse.     Could  we  make  her  as  the  man, 
Sweet  love  were  slain,  whose  dearest  bond  is  this. 
Not  like  to  like,  but  like  in  difference  : 


THE    POSITION    OF   WOMAN.  1 23 

Yet  in  the  long  years  liker  must  they  grow  ; 

The  man  be  more  of  woman,  she  of  man  ; 

He  gain  in  sweetness,  and  in  moral  height, 

Nor  lose  the  wrestling  thews  that  throw  the  W(jrld ; 

She  mental  breadth,  nor  fail  in  childward  care, 

More  as  the  double-natured  poet,  each  ; 

Till  at  the  last  she  set  herself  to  man, 

Like  perfect  music  unto  noble  words."* 

Paul  closes  his  remarks  on  woman  by  alluding  to — 
III,  A  Blessed  Assukance. — "  Notwithstanding  she 
shall  be  saved  in  childbearing ; "  or,  as  the  R.  V.  has  it, 
"  through  the  childbearing."  Perhaps  there  was  some 
hint  here  of  the  blessing  that  comes  through  pain  and 
travail,  of  whatsoever  kind  it  be  ;  and  also  of  the  great 
and  noble  work  possible  only  to  motherhood.  But  the 
more  correct  translation  gives  us  rather  the  thought  of 
whatmay  be  called  pre-eminently  ^^  the  childbearing"  — 
when  Jesus  Christ,  the  world's  Saviour,  was  born  of  a 
woman,  and  appeared  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh — for 
it  was  thus  that  the  great  promise  was  fulfilled  which 
brought  a  gleam  of  hope  into  the  darkness  of  Eve's 
despair,  "  the  seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the  ser- 
pent's head."  In  Him,  the  perfect  Man,  Christ  Jesus,  is 
all  the  winsomeness  and  gentleness  of  womanhood,  com- 
bined with  more  than  the  strength  and  earnestness  of 
manhood,  and  it  is  the  highest  ideal  we  can  set  before  us 
as  men  and  women,  each  of  us  in  our  own  sphere,  to 
proclaim  and  display  the  perfect  and  Divine  beauty  of 
our  Lord ;  the  one  chiefly  in  the  quietude  of  home,  the 
other  chiefly  in  the  activities  of  the  world,  ever  praying 

*  Tennyson. 


124  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

to  the  God  of  all  grace  for  "faith  and  charity,  and  holi- 
ness with  sobriety."  Through  Christ  we  receive  salva- 
tion, and  in  likeness  to  Christ  we  find  our  glorification ; 
so  that  if  we  fail  to  recognise  Him,  and  live  for  Him,  we 
fail  for  ever  to  attain  God's  highest  ideal  of  manhood,  or 
of  womanhood. 

How  many  fail  thus !  yet  there  is  not  one  whom  God 
does  not  seek  to  arouse  to  a  consciousness  of  those  higher 
things,  and  some  are  feeling  unsatisfied  because  they  have 
them  not.  They  sit  with  hearts  empty,  as  she  sat  in  the 
picture  I  saw  so  lately,  entitled  "  Love's  labour  lost."  A 
beautiful  young  girl,  whose  childhood  is  swiftly  passing 
away,  sits  clasping  her  knees  as  she  gazes  with  the  strange 
far  away  look  of  one  lost  in  thought.  The  puppets  and 
pleasures  that  have  contented  her  till  now,  can  satisfy 
her  no  longer.  The  basket  of  toys  is  untouched,  the  efforts 
of  the  girl-attendants  to  amuse  her  are  unheeded;  the 
singers  and  musicians  entering  the  room  do  not  receive  a 
single  glance,  and  the  pet  fawn  is  wondering  that  no 
caress  is  given  to  her  now.  The  girl  has  been  aroused 
to  something  more — higher  and  better — than  these,  and 
if  you  have  had  an  inward  awakening  nothing  will  satisfy 
you  but  Christ,  for  in  the  flush  of  your  girlhood  or  in 
the  dignity  of  your  womanhood — in  the  hopes  of  your 
youth  or  in  the  activities  of  your  manhood,  He  still  says, 
"  If  any  one  thirst  let  him  come  unto  Me  and  drink. 
Whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him 
shall  never  thirst :  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him 
shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water,  springing  up  into  ever- 
lasting life." 


SERMONETTES  ON  THIRD  CHAPTER. 


(      ^^7     ) 


I. 

THE  IDEAL  MINISTER, 
(i  Tim.  iii.  1-7.) 

The  apostle  wlio  most  boldly  maintained  the  brotherhood 
of  believers,  clearly  recognised  the  necessity  for  order  and 
office  in  Christian  communities.  Even  in  those  early 
days,  when  organisation  was  naturally  inchoate,  there 
existed  bishops  and  deacons,  who  had  special  functions  to 
fulfil — to  whose  qualifications  for  office  Paul  calls  Timothy's 
attention  in  the  passage  before  us.  Every  one  who 
thoughtfully  considers  the  working  of  a  human  society, 
whether  it  be  political  or  commercial,  social  or  religious 
in  its  basis,  will  see  the  necessity  that  exists  for  distri- 
bution of  work ;  and  unless  such  distribution  is  to  be 
continually  changing  and  leaving  affairs  in  a  constant 
state  of  flux,  offices  must  be  thereby  created.  The  old 
adage,  "  What  is  every  one's  business  is  nobody's  business," 
expresses  the  popular  recognition  of  the  truth — that  it 
is  wise  policy  for  each  member  of  a  community  to  have 
appointed  and  recognised  duties ;  and  since  we  do  not 
shake  off  the  coils  of  human  nature  when  we  become 
Christians,  this  holds  good  in  the  Christian  Church  also. 
We  can  understand,  therefore,  how  it  came  to  pass  that 


128  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

bishops    and    deacons   had    their   recognised    offices   and 
responsibilities  at  a  very  early  period  in  Church  history. 

But  these  men  were  bound  by  the  fundamental 
principles  of  their  faith  to  think  humbly  of  themselves 
and  of  their  offices ;  for  this  was  a  law  in  Christ's  King- 
dom, "  He  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted,  and  he 
that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased."  Their  influence 
(as  this  passage  indicates)  depended  upon  character  and 
reputation,  and  was  not  the  result  of  office,  nor  was  it  the 
effect  of  extraordinary  gifts  or  talents.  "  A  good  report 
among  those  that  were  without,"  was  a  more  important 
qualification  than  the  fact  of  ecclesiastical  appointment, 
and  their  duties  were  such  as  required  Divine  grace  rather 
than  human  ordination  for  their  performance.  We  read 
nothing  here  or  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament  of 
sacrificial  services,  and  of  sacramental  rites,  which  only  a 
caste  could  perform  ;  nor  was  a  peculiar  right  to  hear 
confessions  and  pronounce  absolution,  given  to  any  in 
the  Church  of  Christ.  Hence  no  stress  is  laid  upon  the 
vestments  of  bishops,  but  much  is  said  about  the  habits- 
of  their  lives  ;  and  their  blameless  relations  in  the  Church, 
in  the  home,  and  in  the  world,  are  insisted  upon,  to  the 
exclusion  of  any  mention  of  appointment  by  ecclesiastical 
superiors.  Nothing  is  said  as  to  the  origin  of  their  offices 
nor  as  to  the  mode  of  their  appointment  to  them,  and 
we  are  left  to  infer  their  peculiar  duties  from  incidental 
allusions,  so  simple  and  so  free  were  the  apostolic  arrange- 
ments in  comparison  with  those  which  prevailed  in  the 
third  and  even  in  the  second  century  of  our  faith.  The 
development  of  a  pastor  into  a  priest,  and  of  a  priest  into 


THE   IDEAL  MINISTER.  I  29 

a  Pope,  would  require  a  discourse  from  an  ecclesiastical 
Darwin  to  explain  fully  ;  but  tbe  process  would  be  simple 
enough  when  human  nature  was  allowed  to  triumph  over 
the  new  principles  of  Christ's  Kingdom.  On  the  one  hand, 
the  strong  will  and  the  greater  ability  of  an  ambitious 
pastor  would  soon  win  for  him  priority  over  his  weaker 
brethren ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  there  has  always  been 
a  lamentable  tendency  in  men  and  women  to  assign 
to  others  those  responsibilities  which  are  really  laid  by 
God  upon  each  of  us.  Priestcraft  is  the  outcome  of 
unregenerate  human  nature,  and  is  utterly  contrary  to 
the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

It  is  not  needful  that  we  should  spend  our  time  in 
demonstrating  that  "  bishop  "  and  "  presbyter  "  were  two 
words  used  in  the  New  Testament  to  denote  one  and  the 
same  office.  Alford  uses  the  term  "  overseer  "  instead  of 
bishop  in  his  translation,  in  order,  to  use  his  own  words, 
"  to  avoid  the  chance  of  identifying  it  with  a  present  and 
different  office,"  that,  namely,  of  one  who  is  set  over  the 
clergy,  not  over  a  congregation.  But  the  word  "  overseer  " 
has  no  sacred  or  ecclesiastical  associations  connected  with 
it,  so  that  we  prefer  using  the  word  "  pastor  "  as  the  true 
modern  equivalent  of  "  bishop  "  or  "  presbyter,"  expressing 
as  it  does  the  idea  of  watchful,  loving,  responsible  over- 
sight. Dealing,  as  these  letters  do,  with  the  duties  of  a 
Pastor,  they  are  properly  called  "  the  Pastoral "  Epistles. 
If  it  be  asked  why  two  words  were  used  in  the  New 
Testament  to  express  the  same  office,  the  answer  is 
simple.  IIpeo-^vTepoi  had  been  employed  for  generations 
to  denote  the  presiding  heads  of  the  synagogal  communi- 


I30  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

ties,  and  would  naturally  be  used  by  Jewish  Christians 
to  describe  those  occupying  a  similar  position  in  their 
churches.  Whereas  eTrto-zcoVot  was  a  Greek  word,  which 
denoted  primarily  the  officers  sent  by  the  Athenians  to 
take  the  oversight  of  subject  cities,  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred from  the  civil  to  the  spiritual  sphere,  to  denote  the 
men  who  had  the  oversight  of  Christian  communities.  We 
must  never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  there  was  a  combina- 
tion of  Jewish  and  Greek  influences  in  the  earlier  years  of 
Christianity.  When  Paul  was  writing  to  Titus,  he  uses  the 
two  words  Trpea^vrepo^;  and  eTr/tr/coTro?  interchangeably, 
because  in  Crete  the  converts  were  drawn  from  among 
both  Jews  and  Greeks.  When  in  his  first  missionary 
tour  he  set  some  over  the  churches  in  which  the  nucleus 
was  Jewish,  he  speaks  of  "  presbyters  "  only.  Here  writ- 
ing to  Timothy  in  the  great  Gentile  city  of  Ephesus,  he 
speaks  of  "  eTTicr/coTrot,"  that  is,  bishops  or  pastors.  In 
this  passage  he  expounds  the  counsel  he  had  already 
given  to  the  Ephesian  "  presbyters,"  when  he  stood  on 
the  shore  at  Miletus,  and  said,  "  Feed  the  flock  of  God 
which  is  among  you,  taking  the  oversight  thereof ;  not  by 
constraint,  but  willingly ;  not  for  filthy  lucre,  but  of  a 
ready  mind  ;  neither  as  being  lords  over  God's  heritage,  but 
being  ensamples  to  the  flock." 

"  This  is  a  true  saying  " — re-echoed  by  the  Church  in 
all  ages — "  if  a  man  seeketh  the  office  of  a  pastor  he 
seeketh  a  good  work."  Now  a  pastor  is  only  a  somewhat 
more  prominent  example  of  other  Christians,  who  in  mis- 
sions and  Sunday  schools  and  homes  do  what  is  essentially 
the  same  work.     They  therefore  ought  to  exhibit  charac- 


THE    IDEAL   MINISTER.  131 

teristics  similar  to  those  demanded  of  him.  Hence  this 
particular  example  may  serve  purposes  of  general  instruc- 
tion. 

I.  The  moral  characteristics  of  the  ideal  pastor  are 
strongly  insisted  upon.  Strangely  enough,  nothing  is 
said  about  his  piety,  his  love  to  God,  his  communion  with 
Him,  his  delight  in  Him,  his  devotion  to  Him  ;  but  this 
is  naturally  presupposed,  as  the  basis  of  the  rest.  It  is 
not  alluded  to  here,  partly  because  Timothy  did  not 
require  to  be  reminded  that  personal  religion  is  the  first 
essential  in  all  spiritual  work,  and  partly  because  he  was 
less  able  to  judge  of  inward  piety  in  others  than  of  the 
qualities  mentioned  here.  Every  Christian  teacher,  how- 
ever lowly  or  however  prominent  his  sphere,  must  speak 
with  God  before  he  speaks /or  God.  Like  Moses,  he  must 
ascend  the  mountain  of  communion  before  he  gives  utter- 
ance to  God's  commands  among  the  people ;  and  we  may 
well  pray  that  in  and  through  us  (unworthy  and  sinful 
though  we  are)  the  woi'ds  of  Cowper  may  be  fulfilled — 

"  When  one  that  holds  communion  with  the  skies 
Has  filled  his  urn  where  these  pure  waters  rise, 
And  once  more  mingles  with  us  meaner  things, 
'Tis  ev'n  as  if  an  angel  shook  his  wings  ; 
Immortal  fragrance  fills  the  circuit  wide, 
That  tells  us  whence  his  treasures  are  suj^plied." 

Communion  with  God  is  pre-supposed.  But  moial 
characteristics  strengthened  by  this  communion  are  men- 
tioned here  as  being  expected  of  all  Christians  and  pre- 
eminently of  those  who  would  be  leaders  among  them. 

I.  Self-rule  is  one  of  the  principal  of  these,  and  it  is 

10 


132  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

to  display  itself  in  all  directions.  The  bishop  is  to  be 
sober,  exercising  habitual  self-restraint,  not  only  in  respect 
of  intoxicating  drinks,  but  also  in  respect  of  indulgence 
in  pleasures  of  all  kinds,  setting  an  example  of  dominion 
over  the  carnal  and  sensuous.  How  woeful  the  effects  of 
carelessness  about  this  every  experienced  Christian  knows 
too  well !  In  one  of  the  large  churches  of  Lisbon,  while 
listening  to  the  sonorous  voice  of  the  priest  who  was 
intoning  service,  our  guide  whispered,  "  Ah,  sir,  you 
should  see  him  in  the  evening;  he  is  drunk  every  night." 
The  fact  explained  to  some  extent  the  scorn  and  contempt 
felt  by  the  more  intelligent  people  in  that  city  for  the 
Christian  faith,  represented,  or  rather  misrepresented,  by 
such  men.  Happily,  in  this  respect,  the  change  from  the 
condition  of  things  prevailing  a  century  ago  in  England  is 
marvellous,  and  there  is  not  a  branch  of  the  Christian 
Church  where  such  indulgence  would  now  for  an  instant 
be  tolerated. 

But  temper  is  to  be  as  much  under  control  as  other 
passions,  for  the  Christian  teacher  must  be  no  "  brawler," 
no  striker,  "  but  patient."  Outbursts  of  ill  temper  are 
as  harmful  as  grosser  vices  in  their  effect  upon  a  church, 
and  we  need  much  grace  to  "  keep  our  tongues  between 
the  hedge  of  our  teeth  "  (as  old  Homer  says),  and  to  be 
patient  under  provocation,  not  answering  railing  for 
railing,  but  contrariwise  blessing.  Ours  should  be  what 
Matthew  Arnold  beautifully  calls  "  sweet  reasonableness," 
the  willingness  to  treat  others  with  perfect  equity,  which 
is  moderated  and  pervaded  by  tender  sympathy  with 
weakness,  and  a  due  allowance  for  extenuating  circum- 


THE    IDEAL    MINISTER.  I  33 

stances  or  peculiarities  of  temperament.  To  speak  gently, 
and  yet  firmly  ;  to  do  the  right  thing,  and  yet  to  do  it 
in  the  most  courteous  way,  requires  abounding  grace ; 
and  because  we  all  fail  at  times  in  this  we  must  be 
patient  and  gentle  with  each  other — not  among  the 
"  brawlers,"  who  like  the  excitement  of  discord,  nor 
among  the  "  strikers,"  who  hit  hard  blows  on  sensitive 
hearts  without  remorse  or  pity. 

2.  Again,  sound  judgment  is  a  qualification  much 
needed  by  every  pastor  and  teacher.  This  is  no  doubt 
one  reason  of  Paul's  for  urging  on  Timothy,  as  he  does 
in  the  sixth  verse,  that  a  pastor  in  the  Church  should 
not  be  a  "novice,"  i.e.,  a  recent  conver-t — a  word  of 
warning  still  required  by  those  who  thrust  into  perilous 
prominence  Christians  who  have  only  just  tasted  that  the 
Lord  is  gracious.  It  is  no  wonder  that  these  fulfil  Paul's 
prediction,  and  becoming  puffed  up  with  pride  fall  into 
the  condemnation  of  the  devil,  who  fell  through  vain- 
glory. If  the  young  life  of  a  plant  is  exposed  to  the 
glare  of  the  sunshine,  death  will  supervene.  And  in  the 
life  of  every  creature — insect,  and  bird,  and  beast,  and 
most  of  all  in  the  life  of  man — the  period  of  development 
must  precede  the  period  of  manifestation.  Let  us  all 
learn  before  we  attempt  to  teach.  The  true  religious 
leader  should  have  the  warm  heart,  and  may  be  thankful 
if  he  has  also  the  ready  tongue  ;  but  he  needs  besides 
these  some  experience  of  life  and  a  practical  knowledge 
of  men.  Many  a  student  has  failed  in  the  ministry 
because,  with  all  his  knowledge  of  books,  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  his  fellows.       Most  of  the  qualities   men- 


134  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

tioned  here  by  Paul  may  be  summed  up  in  what  has  been 
called  sanctified  common  sense,  and  it  is  needed  in  the 
Church  as  much  as  in  business. 

3.  Another  characteristic  of  tJie  ideal  minister  should  be 
open-heartedness  and  open-handedness.  The  phrase  "  given 
to  hospitality  "  in  A.  V.,  or  more  correctly  "  a  lover  of 
strangers,"  denotes  what  was  relatively  more  important 
then  than  now.  Many  disciples  were  engaged  in  evan- 
gelistic work.  Passing  from  city  to  city  they  found  few 
conveniences  for  their  shelter,  and  in  such  public  places 
of  resort  as  were  open  ungodliness  and  laxity  of  morals 
prevailed  to  a  hideous  degree.  For  their  safety,  morally 
as  well  as  physically,  it  was  necessary  that  the  Christians 
should  receive  them  into  their  homes,  and  in  this  work 
the  pastors  and  deacons  properly  took  the  lead. 

The  exercise  of  this  grace  of  hospitality  called  for  an 

unsuspiciousness  of  temper  which  might  lead  to  imposition 

then  just  as  it  does  now.      But  painful  and  vexatious  as 

this    may    be,  and    often  is,  it  is  better  to  be   deceived 

occasionally  by  a  rogue  than  to  become  hard  in  dealing 

with  deserving  sufferers.      Our  Lord  was  kind  to  us  and 

even  died   for  us  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  and  as  His 

disciples  we  must  be  ready  to  give,  hoping  for  nothing 

again,  being  kind  to  the  unthankful  and  to  the  unworthy. 

Byron  well  says — 

"  Suspicion  is  a  heavy  armour,  and 
With  its  own  weight  impedes  more  than  it  protects  ! " 

II.  A  few  words  ought  to  be  added  upon  the  subject 
of  THE  Relations  of  the  Minister  to  those  around 
HIM,  his  right  relation  with  God  being  pre-supposed. 


THE    IDEAL    MINISTER.  135 

I .  He  is  to  he  the  husband  of  one  wife.  A  phrase  which 
has  been  very  frequently  discussed.  It  is  to  be  taken 
surely  in  its  restrictive  meaning,  and  is  aimed  against 
the  polygamous  practices  which  then  widely  prevailed, 
fostered  as  they  were  by  facility  of  divorce.  In  some  of 
the  islands  of  the  South  Seas  a  similar  problem  has  to  be 
faced  by  modern  missionaries.  Before  conversion  a  chief 
sometimes  has  several  wives  ;  but  afterwards  this  is  no 
longer  tolerable  ;  yet  unless  suitable  provision  can  be  made 
for  their  protection  and  support,  the  dismission  of  his 
wives,  right  in  one  sense,  may  be  the  cause  of  other 
evils.  But  the  law  of  God  is  clear  on  the  subject,  and 
missionaries  would  certainly  counsel  that  no  one  should 
be  recognised  as  a  native  teacher  if  he  had  more  than  one 
wife.  This  is  what  Paul  urged.  At  the  same  time  the 
celibacy  of  the  clergy  is  implicitly  condemned  by  the 
apostle,  and  wisely  so.  For  there  is  no  doubt  that 
Christians  are  taught  more  by  domestic  experience,  by 
the  sorrows,  the  joys,  and  the  anxieties  of  home  life,  than 
by  mere  intellectual  speculations,  however  lofty  and  spiri- 
tual they  may  seem  to  be. 

2.  Then  allusion  is  made  to  the  pastor's  own  house  as 
distinguished  from  God's  house.  It  is  more  easily  managed, 
because  there  is  in  it  intenser  love  and  a  more  limited 
sphere.  So  it  is  urged  that  any  leader  in  the  Church 
should  rule  well  his  own  house,  having  his  children  in 
subjection  with  all  gravity.  On  which  Dr.  Reynolds  has 
beautifully  said — "  The  child-life  of  the  pastor's  home 
should  suggest  the  sacredness  of  a  temple  and  the  order 
of  a  palace."     And  is  not  this  true  for  us  all  ?     Is  it  not 


136  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

in  tlie  home  that  we  are  the  most  tested,  and  is  it  not 
there  we  can  best  glorify  God  ?  And  is  it  not  in  ruling 
the  home  that  we  may  by  God's  grace  win  the  kind  of 
authority  we  ought  to  exercise  for  Christ  in  the  Church 
and  in  the  world  ?  Look  on  your  home  as  God's  training- 
ground  for  you,  remembering  that  in  it  you  may  under- 
stand the  depths  and  heights  of  spiritual  fellowship,  and 
in  it  you  may  already  enjoy  foretastes  of  the  bliss  of 
Heaven. 

3.  Tlie  relation  the  pastor  should  hold  towards  the 
world. — Much  stress  is  laid  in  this  passage  on  being 
"  blameless,"  and  having  "  a  good  report  of  them  that 
are  without  " — those,  namely,  who  are  outside  the  king- 
dom of  Christ.  We  cannot  afford,  as  Christ's  represen- 
tatives, to  defy  the  world's  opinion  about  us  so  far  as 
moral  reputation  is  concerned.  The  world  is  a  poor 
judge  of  doctrine,  of  motive,  and  of  religious  hopes  and 
thousfhts  :  but  it  is  a  keen,  and  on  the  whole  an  accurate 
judge  of  character  ;  and  when  the  members  and  leaders  of 
the  Church  are  recognised  by  the  world  as  honest,  sincere, 
trusty,  pure  men  and  women,  Christ  will  win  the  day  against 
His  foes.  Care  much  then  for  the  cultivation  of  character, 
but  be  jealous  also  of  reputation ;  for  among  the  wiles  of 
the  devil  which  Paul  speaks  of  here,  is  the  attempt  to 
injure  the  reputation  of  Christians,  especially  of  ministers 
of  Christ's  Gospel — because  if  one  of  them  breaks  down  in 
good  repute  there  is  exultation  as  over  a  standard-bearer 
slain.  Let  us  be  more  watchful  over  our  own  reputation 
and  over  that  of  our  brethren,  and  let  us  seek  after  con- 
sistency in  trivial  things,  for  the  qualities  mentioned  here 


THE   IDEAL  MINISTER.  137 

appear  to  be  comparatively  small.  It  is  not  obvious  un- 
faithfulness in  duty,  nor  deficiency  in  special  gifts,  nor 
gross  crime  in  behaviour,  against  which  we  are  warned  ; 
but  the  ungoverned  temper,  the  unbridled  tongue,  the 
foolish  indiscretions,  the  careless  walk  which  mar  Christ- 
like beauty  and  destroy  Christian  influence  so  often  and 
so  sadly.  And  when  we  cry,  in  view  of  our  short- 
comings, "  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ? "  let  us 
cheer  ourselves  by  saying,  "  Our  sufficiency  is  of  God," 
praying  for  grace  not  only  to  speak  of  heaven,  but  to 
lead  the  way,  thus  fulfilling  Pollok's  description  of  the 
Christian  teacher — 

"  He  was  humble,  kind,  forgiving,  meek  ; 
Easy  to  be  entreated,  gracious,  mild  ; 
And,  with  all  patience  and  aflfectlon,  taught, 
Rebuked,  persuaded,  solaced,  counselled,  warned, 
In  fervent  style  and  manner.     All 
Saw  in  his  face  contentment,  in  his  life 
The  path  to  glory  and  perpetual  joy." 


(      138     ) 


II. 

THE  IDEAL  DEACON, 
(i  Tim.  iii.  8-13.) 

Whether  the  duties  performed  bj  the  deacons  in  th( 
Apostolic  Church  were  Uke  those  undertaken  by  officers 
so  designated  in  the  Episcopal,  or  in  the  Nonconforming 
Churches  of  our  day,  the  characteristics  required  are 
worthy  of  consideration,  because  no  one  holding  any 
office  in  Christ's  Church  should  be  destitute  of  them. 

I.  Deacons  should  be  of  Noble  Character  (v.  8). — 
This  is  essential,  and  if  money,  or  talent,  or  love  of  pre- 
eminence are  substituted  for  it,  a  deserved  curse  will  fall 
upon  the  community  preferring  these. 

1 .  They  were  to  he  grave,  i.e.,  of  serious  deportment ; 
not  sharing  in  the  follies  and  gaieties  of  pleasure-loving 
cities  like  Ephesus,  but  revered  as  men  living  in  a  higher 
and  purer  atmosphere. 

2.  iVb^  double-tongued,  saying  one  thing  to  this  man 
and  another  to  that,  and  thus  giving  rise  to  misunder- 
standings and  differences.  Gossip  is  sometimes  as  harm- 
ful as  slander. 

3.  Not  given  to  much  wine.  Such  temperance  should 
be  a  characteristic  of  any  true  Christian,  and  is  absolutely 
essential  to  one  who  would  lead  and  represent  the  Church. 

4.  Not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre,  or  "  base  gain."     Some 


THE   IDEAL   DEACON.  139 

gain  is  the  fair  and  God-appointed  stimulus  to  toil. 
Success  in  business,  when  it  is  won  by  integrity  and 
diligence,  is  a  sign  of  fitness  for  service  in  the  Church 
rather  than  a  disqualification  for  it.  But  when  a  man 
makes  money  the  chief  object  of  life,  and  will  gain  it 
even  by  evil  means,  and  holds  with  a  tight  hand  what  he 
wins,  he  is  unfit  for  office  as  a  Christian,  for  he  is  one  of 
those  who  are  "  lovers  of  money  more  than  lovers  of  God." 

II.  Deacons  should  be  Strong  in  the  Faith  (v.  9). — 
"  Holding  the  mystery  of  the  faith  in  a  pure  conscience." 
The  faith  means  the  truth  apprehended  and  believed  by 
the  Church.  It  is  called  the  mystery,  because  it  had 
once  been  hidden,  though  it  was  now  revealed.  It  is  to 
be  held  in  intelligent  and  firm  conviction,  not  formally  or 
loosely ;  and  to  be  held,  moreover,  in  a  pure  conscience, 
which  will  not  palter  with  convictions,  nor  change  the 
truth  of  God  to  please  men,  nor  lower  the  Christian  ideal 
of  life  in  order  to  get  on  in  the  world. 

III.  Deacons  should  be  trusted  by  the  Church  (v. 
10). — "Let  these  also  first  be  proved,"  for  their  qualifi- 
cations ought  to  be  evidenced  and  recognised,  in  order 
that  they  may  have  the  confidence  of  their  brethren. 
When  any  citizen  of  Athens  was  appointed  by  lot,  or 
chosen  by  suffrage,  to  hold  public  office,  he  was  obliged, 
before  entering  on  its  duties,  to  submit  to  hoKitJ-acria, 
a  scrutiny  into  his  life  and  conduct,  and  it  is  the  verb 
representing  that  noun  which  the  apostle  uses  here.  He 
means  that  if  a  man  were  chosen  to  office  who  was  known 
to  be  unworthy,  any  member  of  the  community  might 
object  to  him,  for  it  is  of  the  first  importance  that  con- 
fidence should  be  felt  in  those  who  lead  the  Church, 


(40  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

The  next  verse  may  refer  either  to  the  "wives"  of  the 
deacons  or  to  those  holding  office  as  deaconesses,  for  both 
would,  no  doubt,  co-operate  in  Christian  service ;  and 
consideration  of  the  greater  separation  then  prevailing 
between  the  sexes  will  show  that  there  must  have  been 
some  work  which  only  women  could  do.  The  fidelity  of 
Christian  women  in  the  early  years  of  Christianity  is 
attested  in  the  bloody  pages  of  persecution.  In  all  ages, 
as  well  as  on  Calvary,  women  have  stood  nearest  to  the 
Cross !  They  were  to  be  grave,  of  serious  deportment ; 
not  slanderers,  but  ruling  their  tongues  in  the  Church  and 
outside  it ;  sober  or  temperate,  exercising  habitual  self- 
control  ;  and  faithful  in  all  things — in  short,  to  have 
about  them  the  purity  and  sanctity  of  true  Christian 
womanhood.  (The  next  verse  repeats  the  qualification 
mentioned  in  verse  4.) 

IV.  Deacons  may  look  for  the  Recompense  of 
Reward  (ver.  13). — The  phrase  purchase  to  themselves  a 
good  degree,  or,  as  in  Revised  Version,  "  gain  to  themselves 
a  good  standing,"  includes  the  idea  of  obtaining  high 
reputation  amongst  the  brethren;  and  that  is  not  with- 
out its  value.  But  it  implies  also,  advance  in  faith,  in 
courage,  and  in  wisdom,  as  the  result  of  active  and  faith- 
ful service.  And  this  is  the  preparation  for  and  the 
pledge  of  the  honour  which  will  be  given  in  the  last 
great  day,  honour  which  will  vaiy  among  the  saints 
according  to  the  measure  of  their  capacity  and  fidelity. 

Therefore  let  each  make  the  best  and  most  of  his 
power  in  Christ's  service ;  seeking  his  own  place  in  the 
fellowship  of  the  Church,  and  then  filling  it  till  the  call 
comes  to  rest  and  reward  in  heaven. 


(      141      ) 


III. 

THE  HOUSE  OF  GOD. 
(i  Tim.  iii.  14,  15.) 

A  WISE  use  of  letter-writing  is  among  the  gifts  which 
Christians  should  sedulously  cultivate.  Some  may  be 
reached  by  a  letter  who  prove  unapproachable  in  conver- 
sation, and  many  a  message  of  warning  and  of  comfort 
has  thus  been  delivered  by  the  wise-hearted.  Indeed,  we 
have  known  invalids  whose  lives  were  so  full  of  suffering 
that  they  seemed  debarred  from  all  usefulness,  who, 
through  their  letters  to  the  sad  and  sinful,  have  proved 
among  the  noblest  and  most  successful  of  the  Lord's 
witnesses.  Experience  of  Divine  grace  has  not  only 
consecrated  them  but  has  made  them  the  means  of  en- 
riching others ;  and  many  of  us  can  thank  God  for 
written  words  of  love  and  wisdom,  which  in  a  time  of 
need  have  brought  us  comfort  and  counsel.  Timothy 
was  thus  helped,  for  this  letter  first  addressed  to  him, 
which  now  lies  open  before  us,  was  just  what  he  needed 
to  teach  him  how  he  ought  to  behave  (or  conduct  himself) 
in  the  house  of  God. 

Young  men  are  not  always  ready  as  Timothy  was  to 


142  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

welcome  such  counsel,  even  though  it  comes  from  those 
whose  experience  has  been  deeper  and  wider  than  their 
own.  In  a  difficult  and  delicate  position  they  sometimes 
fail  to  see  their  responsibility,  and  the  seriousness  of  the 
issues  which  may  result  from  a  false  or  foolish  step,  and 
thus  personal  reputation  may  be  lost  and  the  interests  of 
the  Church  suffer.  A  willingness  to  receive  instruction, 
a  recognition  of  our  own  proneness  to  error,  a  reverent 
regard  for  men  older  and  wiser  than  ourselves,  are  among 
the  attributes  of  the  genuine  disciples  of  the  meek  and 
lowly  Jesus,  for  the  words  are  as  true  now  as  ever, 
"  The  meek  will  He  guide  in  judgment,  the  meek  will 
He  teach  his  way."  There  was  grace  in  Timothy  which 
enabled  him  wisely  to  receive  and  use  good  counsel,  just 
as  there  was  grace  in  Paul  which  fitted  him  to  guide 
and  cheer  his  friend.  The  apostle  spoke  of  what  he 
himself  knew  through  fellowship  with  God  and  through 
experience  of  the  difficulties  Timothy  was  meeting,  and 
it  was  the  fact  that  he  was  no  dreaming  theorist  which 
gave  such  peculiar  weight  to  his  counsels.  It  is  said 
that  Hannibal,  one  of  the  ablest  generals  of  ancient  or  of 
modern  times,  once  heard  an  address  delivered  upon  the 
art  of  war,  and  was  asked  afterwards  what  he  thought  of 
it.  With  his  usual  rugged  abruptness  he  replied,  "  Well, 
I've  heard  many  an  old  poltroon,  but  I  never  heard  such 
a  poltroon  as  this,  for  he  is  talking  about  war  when  he 
knows  nothing  about  it."  That  is  the  spirit  in  which 
counsels  would  naturally  be  received  from  one  whom  Paul 
calls  a  novice ;  but  when  they  come  from  one  who  has 
lived  near  God  and  done  brave  and  successful  service, 


THE   HOUSE    OF    GOD.  143 

the  wise  man  will  listen  and  obey  with  reverence  and  ^ 
promptitude.  And  we  may  be  sure  that  it  was  thus 
Timothy  read  and  re-read  these  words  of  counsel  about 
prayer,  about  pastors  and  deacons,  about  arrangements — 
social  and  religious — to  be  made  in  the  Church,  respecting 
which  the  apostle  says  here,  "  These  things  write  I  unto 
thee,  hoping  to  come  unto  thee  shortly ;  but  if  I  tarry 
long,  that  thou  mayest  know  how  thou  oughtest  to  behave 
thyself  in  the  house  of  God." 

It  is  evident  from  this  verse  that  Paul  was  quite 
uncertain  about  his  own  future.  He  hoped  to  go  to 
Ephesus  "  shortly,"  z'.e.,  more  quickly,  sooner  than, 
the  foregoing  counsels  might  have  led  the  reader  to 
expect.  But  it  was  possible  that  he  might  be  delayed 
or  altogether  prevented  from  going,  and  meantime  abuses 
might  spring  up,  and  errors  assert  themselves.  Timothy 
is  therefore  fairly  warned  against  such  dangers.  It  is 
always  a  harder  task  to  set  things  right  when  they  have 
once  gone  wrong  than  it  is  to  keep  things  right  from  ■■'■ 
the  first.  This  is  very  true  in  matters  of  character. 
Teach  and  warn  your  children  in  the  home  or  in  the 
class,  and  by  God's  blessing  they  may  never  know  the 
depths  of  iniquity  of  which  we  often  hear ;  but  once 
let  innocence  be  defiled  and  character  injured,  and  how 
pitifully  hard  is  the  work  of  rescue  !  The  duty  of  the 
Church  is  chiefly  to  save  from  sin,  and  therefore  God-  puts 
under  her  care  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  children  in 
this  land  that  they  may  be  taught  and  warned  and  led 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  Great  Redeemer ;  yet  the  Church 
must  not  overlook  the  further  and  harder  duty  of  going 


144  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

out  to  seek  and  to  save  tliem  tliat  are  lost.  Like  Paul, 
remember,  fellow-Christians,  that  time  is  short,  that 
opportunity  is  fleeting ;  therefore  speak,  write,  and  act 
for  Christ  and  His  cause  now,  before  the  night  cometh 
in  which  no  man  can  work. 

Let  us  consider  for  a  short  time — 

The  hotise  of  God,  under  which  figure  the  apostle 
here  speaks  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  What  is  implied 
in  it? 

*  I.  The  House  of  God  is  the  Dwelling-place  of  God. 
The  phrase,  "  the  house  of  God,"  is  borrowed  from  the  Old 
Testament,  in  which  it  is  frequently  applied  to  the  temple 
at  Jerusalem — the  place  where  God  met  with  His  people, 
and  revealed  Himself  at  the  mercy-seat ;  and  sometimes 
it  is  used  by  the  prophets  to  denote  the  covenant  people 
themselves,  giving  pledge  and  promise  of  New  Testament 
usage.  For  it  is  no  longer  in  and  through  a  material 
building  that  God  reveals  Himself,  but  in  living  temples. 
Our  Lord  taught  us  this  in  relation  to  Himself  when, 
referring  to  His  body  which  would  be  broken  on  the 
cross.  He  said,  "  Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  I 
will  raise  it  up."  Through  the  humanity  of  our  Lord, 
God  made  Himself  known.  In  Him  dwelt  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  bodily.  But  the  human  body  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  has  passed  away,  and  now  is  substituted  for  it  His 
mystical  body — the  Church,  in  which  God  dwells,  and 
through  which  He  makes  Himself  known.  It  is  this 
Church  of  Christ,  consisting  of  all  believers  the  world 
over,  realised  as  it  was  in  the  community  at  Ephesus,  of 
which    Paul   says   it   is  "  the  house  of  God,"  because  He 


THE    HOUSE    OF   GOD.  I45 

dwells  in  it,  and  makes  His  presence  felt  in  every  im- 
pulse of  righteousness  and  in  every  outburst  of  spiritual 
serA^ice. 

How  grand  is  the  phrase,  "  the  Church  of  the  living 
God !  "  Paul  loved  to  contrast  "  the  living  God  "  with 
those  dead  gods  of  heathenism,  which  had  ears  yet  could 
not  hear,  and  hands  yet  could  not  help ;  and  to  contrast 
Him,  too,  with  those  dead  abstractions  of  philosophy  which 
then,  as  now,  would  substitute  a  vague  impersonal  force 
for  a  Father  who  loves  us,  and  who  yearns  over  us  even 
in  our  wrongdoing. 

Is  that  true  and  living  God  consciously  realised  as 
present  in  our  midst  ?  Is  He  adored  and  served  with  un- 
questioning obedience  and  devotion  ?  It  is  His  indwelling 
which  makes  the  Church  His  House,  and  distinguishes  it 
from  every  other  community  of  which  the  world  knows 
anything.  The  royal  palace  is  not  necessarily  a  building 
of  finer  proportions,  nor  enriched  with  more  beautiful 
surroundings,  nor  filled  with  more  costly  treasures  than 
others  around  it  (Sutherland  House  is  more  palatial 
than  Buckingham  Palace),  but  the  distinction  of  the 
royal  palace  is  that  it  is  the  seat  and  habitation  of  the 
king  or  queen.  Oh  that  we  may  rejoice  in  the  presence 
of  our  King,  and  that  to  all  of  us  He  may  be  in  deed 
and  in  truth  "  the  living  God ; "  for  only  as  we  know 
Him,  and  reveal  Him  to  the  world,  do  we  fulfil  our 
destiny  as  a  Church. 

There  are  Churches  where  He  is  no  longer  felt  to  be 
the  Inspirer  and  Purifier  of  His  people ;  Churches  which 
are  defiled  and  desecrated  by  worldliness.      They  are  like 


146  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

an  old  abbey  I  saw  on  the  banks  of  the  river  the  other 
day.  Originally  it  was  built  and  set  apart  for  God's 
worship,  but  centuries  afterwards  it  became  the  haunt  of 
men  whose  boast  it  was  that  they  believed  in  no  God, 
and  over  the  door  of  the  place  in  which  God's  will  was 
once  done,  they  wrote  the  motto  of  their  club — "  Do 
what  you  wish."  May  we  be  saved  from  putting  our 
wishes  in  the  place  of  God's  will,  and  from  substituting 
for  His  word  the  visionary  speculations  of  those  who 
know  nothing  of  Him  whom  Paul  calls  "  the  living 
God." 

II.  The  House  of  God  should  be  the  Abode  of 
Love. — The  Church  is  not  only  the  place  where  the 
Father  dwells,  but  where  His  sons  and  daughters  live  in 
mutual  confidence  under  the  sway  of  supreme  love  to 
Him.  It  is  this  loving  confidence  which  is  the  essence 
of  a  home.  A  splendid  house  with  luxurious  appoint- 
ments is  not  a  real  home  if  love  is  not  in  it.  But  if 
children  love  each  other,  and  revere  their  parents,  the 
home  may  be  happy  without  a  single  luxury.  Nor  is 
the  home  broken  up,  though  according  to  the  modern 
fashion  of  suburban  life,  change  from  house  to  house  is 
frequent.  Similarly  it  is  of  the  essence  of  the  Church, 
that  unity,  peace,  and  concord  shall  be  among  its  mem- 
bers ;  for  when  discord  and  strife,  self-seeking  and 
jealousy,  begin  to  assert  themselves,  the  fellowship  cannot 
be  called  "  the  House  of  God,"  for  He  is  the  God  of 
peace,  and  His  nature  is  love.  It  is  here  the  Church 
has  so  often  failed.  No  doubt  its  lapses  from  the  faith 
of  the  Gospel  have  been  disastrous  in  their  effects  j  but 


THE   HOUSE    OF   GOD.  1 47 

its  failure  to  exliibifc  the  Christian  temper  and  spirit 
has  been  still  more  fatal  to  its  influence  over  the  world. 
Noisy  contentions,  factious  disputes,  sectarian  bitterness, 
mutual  suspicion  ;  these  have  paralysed  the  Church's 
strength,  and  have  made  it  the  butt  of  the  worldling's 
ridicule.  Yet  the  world  wants  to  see,  and  to  enter  into 
an  ideal  fellowship  such  as  Christ  often  spoke  of  Con- 
tests between  capital  and  labour,  fierce  struggles  for 
pre-eminence  in  society,  contempt  of  the  poor  and  hatred 
of  the  rich ;  wars  and  rumours  of  wars,  distracting 
thought  and  unsettling  commerce ;  cruel  selfishness  so 
greedy  of  gain  that  it  will  rob  the  poor  because  he  is 
poor ;  ay,  and  hideous  revolting  corruption  making  our 
cities  like  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  in  their  wickedness ; — 
all  these  things  call  for  the  God  of  purity  and  love  to 
reveal  Himself,  and  He  will  do  so  through  a  purified 
Church,  which  will  not  only  proclaim  His  laws  of  right- 
eousness but  will  exhibit  in  its  fellowship  the  blessedness 
of  a  pure  brotherhood,  in  which  each  has  learnt  to  love 
the  Lord  his  God  with  all  his  heart,  and  with  all  his  soul, 
and  with  all  his  strength,  and  his  neighbour  as  himself 

III.  The  House  of  God  should  be  the  sphere  of 
Service. — The  Church  is  our  Lord's  instrument  of  work- 
ing. He  does  not  personally  descend  from  Heaven  to 
right  the  wrongs  which  prevail,  nor  does  He  send  His 
angels  to  proclaim  the  woe  that  will  follow  sin,  and  the 
blessedness  which  will  follow  pardon;  but  He  uses  the 
Church,  the  Ecclesia — that  is,  the  people  He  has  called — 
the  saints  who  have   been  summoned  into  fellowship  by 

the  clarion  voice  of  His  love.     But  the  Church  is  merely 

II 


148  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

the  aggregation  of  individuals.  It  is  strong  in  proportion 
as  each  member  is  active  and  earnest,  and  therefore  when 
the  Lord  left  His  house  for  the  far  country  He  "  gave  to 
every  man  his  work."  As  every  disciple  was  made  an 
"apostle,"  though  not  numbered  among  the  Twelve — as 
every  fisherman  who  followed  Jesus  became  a  fisher  of 
men,  so  every  one  loving  the  Master  is  to  be  serving 
Him.  It  is  admitted  in  theory  by  all  communicants, 
but  it  is  contradicted  in  fact  by  multitudes.  Instead  of 
fulfilling  the  description  given  of  the  faithful  Christian 
"  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,"  many  a 
man  deserves  the  epitaph  "  always  avoiding  the  work  of 
the  Lord."  Do  not  lose  sight  of  your  personal  responsi- 
bility in  the  largeness  of  the  community  of  which  you 
form  a  part ;  do  not  avert  your  eyes  from  work  in  your 
new  surroundings  because  you  think  you  have  been 
fairly  faithful  in  the  old  sphere.  The  day  of  life  is  not 
yet  over  for  you,  and  the  Master  looks  for  fidelity  till  the 
evening  shadows  fall ;  and  that  servant  will  be  blessed 
who  is  ever  ready  to  hear  the  "  well  done  "  from  His  lips. 

But  our  text  chiefly  lays  stress  on  the  fact  that — 
,  IV.  The  House  of  God  is  to  be  the  Maintainer 
OF  God's  Truth. — There  seems  to  be  little  doubt  that 
Paul  meant  what  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  sentence 
states — that  the  Church,  which  is  the  House  of  God,  is 
also  "the  pillar  and  ground  (or  basement)  of  the  truth." '~ 
The  mixture  of  metaphors  is  not  at  all  uncommon  in  the 
New  Testament,  notably  in  St.  Peter's  Epistle,  where  in 
one  breath  he  speaks  of  believers  as  "  living  stones  "  and 
as  "  a  holy  priesthood."     Some,  however,  suggest  that  the 


THE   HOUSE   OP   GOD.  1 49 

reference  here  is  to  Timothy,  not  to  the  Church  ;  but 
though  the  apostles  are  once  called  "  pillars,"  no  one  is 
ever  called  the  "  basement "  or  foundation  of  truth,  save 
the  Lord  Christ  Jesus.  Others  put  a  full  stop  after  the 
words  "  the  living  God,"  and  begin  the  new  sentence  thus — 
"The  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth,  and  confessedly 
great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness."  This  is  unnatural, 
abrupt,  and  unfair,  and  has  been  resorted  to  chiefly  by 
Protestant  commentators  because  they  object  to  the 
statement  that  the  Church  is  the  foundation  of  truth. 
Rome  bases  her  claim  to  universal  homage  on  this  and  a 
few  kindred  passages,  maintaining  that  she,  as  the  true 
Church,  is  the  fontal  source  and  the  infallible  organ  of 
Divine  truth.  But  let  us  never  pervert  Scripture,  even 
though  it  be  to  combat  extravagant  and  impious  preten- 
sions. We  must  not  do  evil  that  good  may  come ;  nor  is  ^ 
there  any  need  to  do  so  in  this  case,  for  no  man's  teaching 
is  or  was  more  crushingly  antagonistic  to  Papal  pretensions 
than  Paul's.  What  we  have  to  remember  and  call  atten- 
tion to  is  this— that  "  the  truth  "  is  not  of  the  Church's 
making  nor  of  the  Church's  finding,  but  of  God's  reveal-_ 
ing.  It  is  not  from  her,  but  through  her  from  heaven, 
that  the  revelation  comes,  and  if  she  perverts,  or  combats, 
or  ignores  what  she  receives,  she  at  once  ceases  to  be  the 
pillar  and  basement  of  the  truth.  This  verse,  therefore, 
constitutes  not  the  claim  of  the  Church  but  the  test  of  the 
Church  ;  for  it  is  by  her  fidelity  to  revealed  truth  that 
she  is  to  be  judged.  God  has  manifested  Himself  through 
the  Word,  which  presents  to  us  His  well- beloved  Son — 
the  image  of  the  Invisible,  who  by  His  death  won  for  us 


I  5  O  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

salvation,  and  by  His  life  gives  us  promise  and  hope  of 
the  glorious  future.  We  have  no  uncertainty  to  preach  ; 
no  mere  speculations  to  unfold ;  no  variable  God,  change- 
ful with  each  age  in  character  and  demands,  to  present.  .  jf 
We  are  not  like  the  god-maker  in  Pompeii,  who  used  to  o 
make  all  the  parts  of  the  image  except  the  face,  but  left 
that  till  he  knew  what  the  purchaser  would  like ;  and 
then  he  would  give  with  equal  expertness  Minerva,  or 
Juno,  or  Venus,  or  the  great  Jove  himself.  God  for- 
bid that  this  process  should  be  carried  into  our  pulpits 
and  literature ;  for  if  it  does,  the  day  will  come  to  Eng-  \ 
land,  as  it  did  to  Athens,  when  men  will  erect  their  altar 
"to  the  unknown  God."  May  He  make  every  Church  to 
be  "  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth,"  "  the  basement " 
on  which  it  securely  rests  amid  the  fluctuations  of  human 
thought,  and  "  the  pillar  "  bearing  it  aloft  that  all  may 
see  and  recognise  it. 

The  Church,  then,  is  to  be  what  Christ  was,  the  witness 
of  the  truth.  It  is  through  human  experience  that  the 
world  will  know  it.  God's  truth  cannot  become  influential 
and  living  if  it  is  left  in  texts  and  creeds,  in  symbols  and 
in  formulas.  It  must  enter  into  men's  consciousness ;  it 
must  become  a  living  experience  ;  it  must  find  expression 
in  character  and  action,  and  reveal  itself  in  love,  worship, 
and  obedience.  Why,  even  scientific  truths  would  soon 
become  valueless,  and  we  should  be  glad  to  bury  the  dead 
theories  out  of  our  sight,  if  they  were  in  statement  and 
proposition  only.  They  need  the  living,  thinking,  earnest 
men  as  the  pillar  and  basement  of  them ;  and  if  men  of 
science  were  actuated  by  base  motives  or  by  party  spirit, 


THE   HOUSE    OP   GOD.  15  I 

and  proved  unfaithful  to  their  trust,  that  trust  would  pass 
into  other  hands.  In  religious  truth  the  Jews  were  thus 
supplanted  by  the  Gentiles  ;  and  in  view  of  that  punish- 
ment of  unfaithfulness,  we  are  called  upon  to  realise 
our  responsibility,  as  those  who  may  themselves  know, 
and  may  then  fearlessly  maintain,  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus. 


(       152       ) 


IV. 

THE  MYSTERY  OF  GODLINESS. 
(i  Tim.  iii.  i6.) 

The  greatness  and  importance  of  the  truth  which  the 
Church  was  to  maintain  is  given  as  a  motive  to  fidelity 
on  the  part  of  Christians.  Their  position  was  like  that 
of  the  lighthouse-keepers.  If  they  neglect  their  duty  and 
no  light  gleams  over  the  sea,  many,  of  whom  they  know 
nothing,  may  be  hurried  on  to  wreck  and  death. 

"  Without  controversy,"  i.e.,  confessedly  among  all  who 
have  heard  it,  "  great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness."  The 
word  "  mystery  "  with  Paul  never  means  a  revealed  doc- 
trine hard  to  be  understood,  as  it  does  commonly  now, 
but  what  was  hidden  from  man  until  God  revealed 
it.  For  the  truths  of  a  divine  religion  are  revealed. 
They  must  be  accepted  as  statements  of  fact,  for  they 
can  neither  be  discovered  by  research  nor  proved  by 
reason.  Above  the  strife  of  parties  and  the  j  anglings  of 
false  teachers  is  this  "  mystery,"  this  "  opened  secret  of 
the  Divine  life,"  just  as  above  the  scarred  rocks  on  the 
mountain  side  are  the  snow-clad  summits  in  the  sunshine 
— smooth,  and  pure,  and  calm.  And  that  mystery  is 
incarnate  in  the  Christ  of  God,  as  He  is  revealed  now 


THE    MYSTERY    OF    GODLINESS.  153 

through  His  Church,  but  once  in  His  proper  humanity, 
to  which  reference  is  made  here. 

The  word  "  God "  in  the  passage  (as  is  stated  in  the 
margin  of  the  Revised  Version)  has  no  suflBcient  evidence. 
Abruptly,  with  a  pronoun,  Paul  begins  the  sentence, 
much  as  the  87th  Psalm  begins,  "  His  foundation  in  the 
holy  mountain,"  what  follows  being  enough  to  indicate  to 
whom  the  Psalmist  refers.  Here  the  understood  ante- 
cedent is  evidently  Christ  Jesus,  and  the  abruptness  of 
the  expression  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  supposition 
that  it  was  a  part  of  a  creed  or  hymn  familiar  to  the 
early  Christians.  The  great  revelation  of  the  Divine  life, 
of  the  religious  life,  is  Christ  Jesus,  of  whom  the  apostle 
states  three  contrasted  facts. 

I.  The  Contrast  between  Flesh  and  Spirit. — "  He 
was  manifested  in  the  flesh,  justified  in  the  spirit."  It 
could  not  be  properly  said  of  a  mere  man  that  he  was 
"  manifested  "  in  the  flesh,  for  the  expression  implies  pre- 
existent  being,  just  as  from  the  appearing  of  a  flower  we 
argue  that  life  had  existed  previously  unseen  in  seed  or 
bulb.  The  phrase  is  equivalent  to  that  in  John  i.,  "  The 
Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us." 

But  He  was  "justified  (against  gainsayers,  as  being 
what  He  claimed  to  be)  in  the  Spirit."  The  reference 
may  be  to  the  Holy  Spirit  who  revealed  Him  to  John  in 
baptism,  who  proclaimed  Him  to  be  the  Beloved  Son, 
who  raised  Him  from  the  dead,  so  that  He  was  declared 
to  be  the  Son  of  God  according  to  the  Spirit  by  His 
resurrection,  and  who  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  convinced 
men  of  His  claims.     Or  the  allusion  may  be  to  the  fact 


154  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

that  it  was  not  what  Jesus  Christ  appeared  to  be  "  in  the 
flesh,"  which  every  one  could  see,  but  what  He  was  by  the 
working  of  His  Spirit,  namely.  His  inner  life,  revealed 
through  His  teaching,  and  miracles,  and  influence,  which 
caused  Him  to  be  recognised  as  the  Son  of  God.  For  it 
is  not  what  appeals  to  our  natural  observation,  to  our  sen- 
suous nature,  or  to  our  purely  intellectual  faculties,  which 
awakens  the  conviction  that  He  is  our  Lord,  but  it  is  His 
Divine  touch,  felt  upon  heart  and  conscience,  which  leads 
us,  like  Thomas,  to  fall  at  His  feet  and  say,  "  My  Lord 
and  my  God." 

II.  The  second  suggested  Contkast  is  between  the 
Angels  and  the  Nations. — "  He  was  seen  of  angels  and 
preached  unto  the  Gentiles."  These  are  again  natural 
opposites.  Angels  are  the  blessed  inhabitants  of  a  higher 
sphere;  Gentiles  are  the  more  corrupt  and  debased  in- 
habitants of  this  lower  world.  The  former  now  see  Jesus 
as  He  is;  they  observed  His  progress  from  the  first ;  they 
heralded  His  birth  ;  they  ministered  to  Him  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  they  proclaimed  His  resurrection ;  they  welcomed 
Him  to  glory.  Yet  He,  who  was  the  angels'  Lord, 
stooped  so  low  as  to  be  proclaimed  to  the  Gentiles  as 
their  Saviour  and  their  brother,  able  to  raise  even  them 
to  sit  with  Him  in  heavenly  places. 

And  it  is  His  glory  that  His  claims  have  been  admitted 
by  opposing  and  divergent  nationalities,  by  the  most 
varied  types  of  men,  as  rightful  King  of  all  the  world. 
Vast  as  is  the  empire  of  Buddhism,  victorious  as  has  been 
the  sword  of  Mohammedanism,  the  votaries  of  either  of 
those   two   faiths   are    found    almost   exclusively  among 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   GODLINESS.  155 

peoples  who  have  much  in  common ;  but  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ  meets  the  needs  of  Eastern  and  of  Western, 
of  Jew  and  of  Gentile,  of  Latin  and  Teuton,  of  degraded 
savages  and  educated  Englishmen  alike.  Of  Him  it  is 
said,  "  He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea  to  sea  and 
from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

III.  The  last  Contrast  drawn  here  is  between  the 
Earthly  and  the  Heavenly. — "  He  was  believed  on  in 
the  world,  received  up  into  glory."  What  a  contrast 
between  the  celestial  brightness  and  purity  in  which  he 
is  enshrined,  and  the  disease,  the  death,  and  the  sin 
prevailing  in  the  world.  Revelations,  startling  in  their 
horror,  are  now  and  again  given  of  the  depths  of  de- 
pravity which  are  close  beside  us  in  this  so-called  civilised 
and  Christian  land  ;  glimpses  are  seen  of  obscenities  and 
wickednesses  like  those  which  destroyed  the  Roman  em- 
pire, and  brought  fire  from  heaven  upon  the  cities  of  the 
plain.  I  know  not  how  we  Christians  could  still  work 
hopefully  if  it  were  not  that  Jesus,  the  Almighty  purifier, 
the  one  Saviour,  can  be  believed  on,  and  is  believed  on 
by  us  in  the  world — as  One  able  and  willing  to  bring 
salvation  to  the  lost  and  degraded.  Though  He  has 
ascended  on  high  and  been  received  into  glory,  He 
has  not  forgotten  us,  who,  trusting  in  Him,  are  fighting 
against  evils  within  and  around.  Keep  up  a  brave 
heart,  for  the  Lord  is  nigh ;  throw  your  whole  energies 
into  His  cause,  for  the  final  victory  is  sure ;  make  no 
terms  with  sin,  for  it  crowned  your  Lord  with  thorns ; 
grasp  hands  with  all  His   servants,  for   we   are   one  in 


156  EPISTLE  TO   TIMOTHY. 

Him ;  trust  absolutely  to  His  aid  for  success,  for  without 
Him  we  are  powerless. 

"  We  would  be  one  in  hatred  of  all  wrong, 
One  in  our  love  of  all  things  sweet  and  fair, 
One  with  the  joy  that  breaketh  into  song, 
One  with  the  grief  that  trembles  into  prayer, 
One  in  the  power  that  makes  Thy  children  free, 
To  follow  truth,  and  thus  to  follow  Thee. 

Oh  clothe  us  with  Thy  heavenly  armour,  Lord, 
Thy  trusty  shield,  Thy  sword  of  love  divine. 
Our  inspiration  be  Thy  constant  word  ; 
We  ask  no  victories  that  are  not  Thine. 
Give  or  withhold,  let  pain  or  pleasure  be, 
Enough  to  know  that  we  are  serving  Thee." 


SERMONETTES  ON  FOURTH  CHAPTER. 


(     159     ) 


I. 

A  GREAT  HERESY, 
(i  Tim.  iv.  1-3.) 

''  The  spirit. "  referred  to  in  the  first  verse  of  this  chapter 
is  unquestionably  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  who  had  been 
promised  to  the  Church  as  its  abiding  teacher  and  com- 
forter. In  all  their  agencies  and  appointments  the 
apostles  sought  His  direction.  It  sometimes  came  in 
outward  events,  sometimes  in  strong  impulses,  and  some- 
times in  the  distinct  utterances  of  men  who  were  recog- 
nised by  their  brethren  as  inspired  prophets.  Examples 
of  these  modes  of  communication  will  readily  recur  to  the 
mind  of  any  one  who  is  familiar  with  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  When  Paul  planned  to  go  into  Bithynia,  "  the 
Spirit  suffered  him  not ; "  by  which  we  understand  that 
circumstances  arose  contrary  to  his  wish  and  expectation, 
which  made  the  intended  visit  impossible,  and  that  this 
outward  indication  of  the  Divine  will  was  accompanied 
by  the  conviction  that  God  would  have  another  course 
adopted.  In  the  Church  at  Antioch,  on  an  earlier  occa- 
sion, some  Christians  during  the  assembly  for  prayer  were 
led  to  speak  under  Divine  impulse,  in  the  name  of  God, 
saying,  "  Separate  me  Barnabas  and   Saul   to  the  work 


l6o  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

whereunto  I  have  called  them."  But  in  whatever  mode 
the  mandate  came,  implicit  and  unquestioning  obedience 
was  always  rendered ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  if 
we  were  as  true  to  indications  in  Providence,  and  to 
inspired  impulses,  as  those  men  were,  the  guidance  of 
God's  Spirit  would  be  far  more  of  a  reality  than  it  is. 
The  trained  ear  of  a  musician  can  discover  meanings  and 
suggestions  in  a  harmony  which  to  an  ordinary  listener 
is  nothing  but  a  pleasant  sound.  And  the  conscience  of 
one  who  habitually  lives  near  God  and  listens  for  Him 
is  sensitive  to  His  whispers,  and  finds  the  meaning  and 
value  of  the  promise,  "  I  will  guide  thee  with  Mine  eye." 
Among  the  functions  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  the  occa- 
sional revelation  of  coming  events  ;  for  there  were  in  this 
sense  "prophets  "  in  the  Christian  Church,  as  truly  as  there 
had  been  under  the  Jewish  dispensation.  Nor  were  these 
always  prominent  and  well-known  men.  Ananias,  who 
clearly  foresaw  what  he  had  to  do  in  Damascus,  and  what 
would  be  the  issue  of  his  action  in  the  subsequent  history 
of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  was  comparatively  an  obscure  disciple. 
And  Agabus,  who  is  spoken  of  as  foretelling  a  famine 
which  soon  afterwards  came,  and  as  warning  Paul  very 
definitely  of  the  bonds  which  awaited  him  in  Jerusalem, 
was  a  man  of  whom  nothing  more  is  known.  Glimpses 
of  the  future  came  to  some  whose  one  qualification  was 
that  they  stood  on  heights  of  spiritual  communion — -just 
as  from  the  summits  of  the  Rigi  we  have  seen  flashes  of 
distant  scenes  through  the  broken  clouds,  which  would  be 
utterly  hidden  from  one  standing  on  a  lower  level.  It 
was  probably  through  one  of  the  unknown  prophets  of 


A    GEEAT   HERESY.  l6l 

the  early  Church  that  the  distinct  prophecy  had  been 
given  to  which  Paul  here  alludes,  which  pointed  out  the 
speedy  coming  of  a  great  heresy,  the  main  outlines  of 
which  were  definitely  foreshadowed.  "  Now  the  Spiiit 
speaketh  expressly,  that  in  later  times  some  shall  depart 
from  the  faith  ; ''  for  there  would  arise  a  dark  and  subtle 
power,  which  would  work  with  disastrous  energy  in  the 
kingdom  of  Christ ;  and  this  would  come  about  not  in 
very  distant  days,  but  in  seasons  later  than  the  apostle's 
own,  though  sufficiently  near  for  the  influence  of  a  faith- 
ful minister  like  Timothy  to  exercise  upon  it  salutary 
influence. 

Let  us  look  at  this  great  heresy,  which  has  often 
and  in  various  forms  repeated  itself  even  down  to  oar 
own  day. 

I.  As  to  THE  SouECE  OF  THE  Heresy  Paul  speaks  in 
no  wavering  tones. 

I .  He  traces  it  thraugh  the  human  agents  to  demon  poiver. 

The  Scriptures  affirm  that  this  world  is  the  scene  of 
conflict  between  evil  and  good,  and  that  outside  the 
range  of  our  senses  is,  on  the  one  side,  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
the  Kving  God,  and  on  the  other  side  are  principalities 
and  powers,  the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  the  world. 
The  alternations  of  night  and  day,  of  storm  and  calm,  are 
not  more  real  than  are  the  vicissitudes  of  this  great  con- 
test going  on  in  the  hearts  of  men. 

Allusion  is  made  here  to  "  seducing  spirits ; "  but 
mysterious  and  mighty  as  may  be  their  power,  they  are 
not  omnipotent,  nor  are  they  resistless,  but  have  control 
over  those  only  who  (to  use  Paul's  phrase)  '"  give  heed  " 


1 62  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

to  them.  Whether  we  are  tempted  to  false  thoughts,  or 
to  impure  acts,  or  to  anything  else  that  is  evil,  it  is  not 
in  vain  that  the  summons  is  heard,  "  Resist  the  devil, 
and  he  will  flee  from  you."  The  "  doctrines  of  devils " 
are  not  facts  about  demons,  known  as  demonology,  but 
the  phrase  is  equivalent  to  "  teaching  which  emanates 
from  demons,"  false  and  evil  spirits,  who  are  ever  seeking 
to  keep  us  in  alienation  from  the  life  of  God,  and  this 
is  done  when  we  are  induced  to  "  depart  from  the  faith," 
to  lose  our  hold  of  Christ,  as  the  world's  true  teacher, 
as  man's  only  Redeemer. 

2.  But  while  we  must  guard  against  the  evil  thoughts 
which  sometimes,  as  we  are  conscious,  do  not  arise  from 
ourselves,  we  have  to  give  heed  to  this  warning  against 
the  human  agents  of  wickedness,  of  whom  the  apostle 
says,  "  They  speak  lies  in  hypocrisy,  having  their  con- 
science seared  with  a  hot  iron." 

If  there  was  one  iniquity  which  more  than  another 
aroused  the  anger  of  our  Lord,  it  was  hypocrisy.  A  man 
who  is  false  and  unreal  has  no  part  in  the  kingdom  of 
light,  but  is  silently,  if  not  openly,  fighting  against  it. 
The  Pharisees  who  opposed  our  Lord,  and  the  false 
teachers  who  withstood  His  apostles,  were  alike  in  this 
sin ;  and  a  man  who  falsifies  what  he  knows  to  be  true, 
whether  in  the  world  or  in  the  pulpit,  is  doing  the  work 
of  the  devil,  for  on  Divine  authority  we  know  that  the 
devil  is  a  liar,  and  the  father  of  lies. 

And  the  evil  man  here  described  has  his  "  conscience 
seared  with  a  hot  iron" — a  phrase  which  blazes  with 
the  apostle's  holy  indignation,  but  expresses  a  tremendous 


A  GREAT   HERESY.  I  63 

fact.  Just  as  seared  flesh  has  lost  its  sensibility,  the 
once  delicate  nerves  in  it  being  destroyed,  so  there  are 
consciences  which  nothing  can  affect.  Appeals  to  honour 
and  to  shame  are  alike  useless.  The  man  can  do  most 
grievous  wrongs  without  shrinking,  indeed  without  de- 
finite consciousness  of  the  evil  in  them ;  and  even  to  the 
hour  of  his  death  he  seems  absolutely  free  from  remorse. 
There  are  usurers  who  do  not  consider  for  an  instant  the 
misery  they  cause ;  profligates  who  are  simply  absorbed 
in  the  indulgence  of  passion,  and  have  no  conception  that 
it  will  ultimately  bring  awful  and  resistless  punishment. 
Corrupt  to  the  core,  their  inmost  nature  is  blurred  and 
blasted  by  falsehood  and  sin ;  their  conscience  is  "  seared 
with  a  hot  iron,"  and  the  good  Spirit  of  God  has  said  to 
all  holy  influences  around,  "  They  are  joined  to  idols,  let 
them  alone." 

The  fatal  influence  exercised  by  such  men  was  seen  in 
the  early  Church,  and  is  felt  around  us  still,  for  no  one 
can  fail  to  be  a  power  either  for  good  or  evil.  Dr. 
Chalmers  admirably  puts  it  in  these  words  :  "  Every  man 
is  a  missionary  now  and  for  ever,  for  good  or  for  evil, 
whether  he  intends  or  designs  it  or  not.  He  may  be  a 
blot  radiating  his  dark  influence  outward  to  the  very 
circumference  of  society ;  or  he  may  be  a  blessing,  spread- 
ing benediction  over  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
world ;  but  a  blank  he  cannot  be.  There  are  no  moral 
blanks ;  there  are  no  neutral  characters.  We  are  either 
the  sower  that  sows  and  corrupts,  or  the  light  that 
splendidly  illuminates  and  the  salt  that  silently  operates; 
but,  being  dead  or  alive,  every  man  speaks." 


164  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

II.  The  Nature  of  the  Heresy  thus  originated,  and 
propagated,  next  demands  notice. 

After  the  strong  language  used  by  Paul  about 
"  doctrines  of  devils,"  we  should  have  expected  the  men- 
tion here  of  some  grosser  evils  than  those  which  are 
specified ;  for,  however  foolish  and  mistaken  these  ascetic 
notions  were,  they  do  not  seem  to  some  of  us  to  have  been 
very  harmful  morally.  And  we  are  the  more  tempted  to 
take  this  view  under  the  influence  of  the  modern  opinion, 
which  I  believe  to  be  radically  false,  that  doctrine  is  of 
no  consequence  at  all. 

These  teachers,  whom  Paul  so  strongly  condemns,  are 
described  as  "forbidding  to  marry  and  commanding  to 
abstain  from  meats."  The  Therapeutse  in  Egypt,  and 
the  Essenes  in  South  Palestine,  had  before  this  made  a 
practice  of  abstaining  from  marriage  and  from  the  use 
of  flesh  and  wine  ;  and  they  maintained  that  the  use  of 
these,  if  not  sinful,  was  at  least  inconsistent  with  the 
higher  degrees  of  excellence  in  spiritual  life.  As  the 
effect  of  Christianity  was  to  give  a  tremendous  impulse  to 
all  spiritual  thought,  it  is  no  wonder  that  soon  after  the 
second  century  began  the  Gnostics  not  only  maintained 
but  exaggerated  the  practices  of  the  Essenes.  And  the 
teaching  of  Roman  Catholicism  in  praise  of  celibacy,  and 
of  vigil,  fasting,  and  penance,  a  teaching  diligently  pro- 
pagated by  Ritualists  in  the  English  Episcopal  Church, 
comes  perilously  near  the  heresy  which  Paul  scathingly 
denounced,  if  indeed  it  is  not  identical  with  it. 

Now  Scripture  does  not  deny  that  occasionally,  and  for 
purposes  of  moral  discipline  or  for  the  accomplishment  of 


A  GREAT   HERESY.  1 65 

special  Christian  work,  abstinence  from  ordinary  human 
relationship  and  from  the  use  of  ordinary  food,  may  be 
for  our  good.  We  can  understand  and  appreciate  the 
sacrifice  of  one  who  resolves  on  a  celibate  life  that  he 
may  be  more  free  for  evangelistic  service  in  some  un- 
wholesome climate,  or  of  one  who  gives  up  wine,  or  even 
food,  for  the  subjugation  of  appetite.  The  danger  in  our 
day  is  not  towards  unwholesome  asceticism  but  towards 
unwholesome  indulgence.  Not  fasting,  but  feasting,  is 
the  peril  of  the  modern  Church. 

Why  then  did  Paul  speak  so  strongly  as  he  does  here 
against  asceticism  ?  Not  so  much,  I  think,  because  the 
practice  was  likely  to  minister  to  pride  and  self-suffi- 
ciency, nor  because  it  was  certain  to  develop  into  the 
follies  of  those  who  regarded  dirt  as  a  sign  of  grace  and 
the  laceration  and  torture  of  the  flesh  as  a  means  of  expi- 
ating sin,  but  because  this  teaching  was  the  offspring  of 
a  fundamental  error  which  threatened  the  very  existence 
of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  That  error,  which  appeared 
and  reappeared  like  the  fabled  PhcBuix,  was  this :  that 
there  was  an  evil  creator  as  well  as  a  good  creator,  and 
that  while  the  flesh  with  all  matter  belonged  to  the  evil 
one,  only  the  spirit  belonged  to  the  latter.  That  was  the 
pliilosophical  reason  given  for  neglecting  the  body,  for 
eschewing  all  fleshly  relations,  and  for  abstaining  from 
the  material  satisfaction  of  appetite ;  and  against  it  the 
apostles  protested  with  all  their  might,  and  no  wonder. 
For  if  this  were  true,  God  was  not  the  good  creator  of  all 
things.  If  this  were  true,  God  had  not  come  really  in 
the  flesh,  seeing  that  flesh  was  the  product  of  an  alien 


1 66  EPISTLE    TO   TIMOTHY. 

and  hostile  power.  Hence  many  came  to  deny  tlie  true 
humanity  of  our  Lord ;  they  said  His  body  was  only  a 
phantasm,  not  a  reality,  which  implied  that  His  tempta- 
tions, His  sufferings.  His  death  and  resurrection  took  place 
in  appearance  only.  Paul  was  not  "  striving  about 
words  to  no  profit "  when  he  struck  out  vigorously  against 
this  pernicious  doctrine;  and  before  you  dismiss  such 
language  in  the  New  Testament  as  exaggerated,  try  to 
see  what  really  lay  behind  it.  Even  Satan  may  appear 
as  an  angel  of  light,  especially  when  seen  down  the  vista 
of  eighteen  centuries. 


(  i67  ) 


II. 

OUR  CHARTER  OF  FREEDOM. 

(i  Tim.  iv.  4,  5.) 

In  meeting  the  heresy  which  he  foresaw,  the  apostle 
asserted  one  of  the  noblest  principles  in  our  heritage  as 
Christians — "  Every  creature  of  God  is  good,  and  nothing 
to  be  refused  if  it  be  received  with  thanksgiving ;  for  it 
is  sanctified  by  the  Word  of  God  and  prayer."  In  other 
words,  a  common  meal  may  become  a  sacrament  to  us  if 
it  be  rightly  received  ;  and  to  a  true  follower  of  Christ  no 
relationship  will  prove  more  saintly  than  that  between 
husband  and  wife ;  nothing  more  pure  than  fatherly  and 
motherly  love ;  nothing  more  promotive  of  spiritual  life 
than  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  sons  and  daughters 
to  their  parents.  All  things  and  all  relationships  may 
become  holy  to  us.  This  was  the  teaching  of  Paul,  and 
of  his  Lord  and  ours. 

You  see,  then,  that  Paul  wisely  meets  the  error  by 
stating  the  truth,  which  must  conquer  it.  In  presence  of 
the  gigantic  fabric  of  falsehood,  which  had  its  foundation 
in  philosophy,  in  Paganism,  and  even  in  Judaism,  he  was 
like  some  great  general  who  stands  face  to  face  with 
a  strong  fortress  in  an  enemy's  country.      Such  a  general 


I  68  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

might  adopt  one  of  two  courses.  He  might  hurl  his 
army  against  the  strongly-built  walls,  and  try  to  win  the 
place  by  force.  He  might  succeed  at  great  cost,  but 
only  to  be  cast  out  in  turn  by  the  coming  of  a  larger 
hostile  army.  Or  he  might  erect  another  fortress  stronger 
and  higher,  which  would  dominate  the  other,  and  make 
it  untenable ;  and  when  the  enemy  was  gone  from  it, 
his  own  citadel  would  still  stand  and  hold  all  the  country 
round.     This  is  what  Paul  did. 

I.  The  Explanation  of  this  Peinciple. — The  apostle 
maintained  a  truth,  which  being  received  will  always  save 
the  Church  from  the  old  error,  in  whatever  form  it  comes. 
He  declared  that  everything  was  made  by  God,  and  that 
everything  God  made  was  good,  and  only  became  bad 
when  it  was  used  in  a  wrong  spirit.  Our  Heavenly 
Father  would  have  us  take  His  gifts  as  constituting  a  holy 
eucharist,  bringing  blessing  to  us  and  evoking  praise  and 
thanks  to  Him.  You  would  not  wish  your  children  to  sit 
at  the  meal  you  had  prepared,  saying — "  I  am  afraid 
this  is  poisonous,"  or  "  This  is  not  meant  for  me ; "  and 
such  a  suspicious,  fearful,  graceless  spirit  is  what  God  is 
grieved  to  see  in  us  amid  the  relationships  of  life  or  in 
the  use  of  His  bounties.  "  Every  creature  of  God  is  good, 
and  nothing  is  to  be  refused  if  it  be  received  with  thanks- 
giving." A  truth  which  condemns  alike  the  ascetic  in  the 
Romish  Church,  and  the  Plymouth  Brother,  who  thinks 
that  business  is  worldly,  social  joys  pernicious,  and  news- 
papers fatal  to  one's  spiritual  welfare.  Be  brave  and  be 
trustful  in  the  use  of  all  that  God  has  given  you. 

It    was  characteristic    of    the    religious    faith  of   the 


OUR  CHARTER  OF  FREEDOM.        1 69 

Hebrews  that  it  maintained  the  doctrine,  that  all  things 
were  of  God  ;  that  there  was  one  Creator,  all-wise  and  all- 
good.  This  struck  at  the  root  of  the  dualism  of  ancient 
religions,  which  attributed  some  things  to  the  evil  and 
some  things  to  the  good  creator.  It  bade  defiance  to  the 
gods  of  Olympus  with  their  fabled  jealousies  and  rivalries  ; 
and  it  made  war  upon  the  popular  belief  in  inferior  deities, 
who  as  fays  and  goblins  so  long  survived  in  the  imagination 
of  Christendom.  All  things  are  of  God,  and  every  creature 
(i.e.,  everything  created)  of  God  is  good.  This  was  the 
bold  declaration  of  men  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and 
our  hearty  acceptance  of  this  will  give  us  perennial  joy, 
and  will  reconcile  us  to  many  things  which  vex  us  now. 

II.  The  Application  of  this  Peinciple. 

I .  In  its  application  to  the  natural  world  it  is  doubtless 
generally  believed  amongst  us.  Flowers  and  fruits,  and 
golden  corn  and  waving  trees,  all  originated  in  God's 
thought;  and  are  the  products  of  His  laws. 

"  Not  a  flower 
But  shows  some  touch,  in  freckle,  streak,  or  stain, 
Of  His  unrivalled  pencil.     He  inspires 
Their  balmy  odours,  and  imparts  their  hues, 
And  bathes  their  eyes  with  nectar  ;  and  includes, 
In  grains  as  countless  as  the  seaside  sands, 
The  forms  with  which  He  sprinkles  all  the  earth. 
Happy  who  walks  with  Him  !  whom  what  he  finds 
Of  flavour,  or  of  scent,  in  fruit  or  flower, 
Of  what  he  views  of  beautiful  or  grand 
In  nature,  from  the  broad  majestic  oak 
To  the  green  blade  that  twinkles  in  the  sun, 
Prompts  with  remembrance  of  a  present  God." 

So  Cowper  sings,  and  to  his  words  we  all  say,  Amen. 


170  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

But  do  not  these  words  of  Paul  warrant  us  in  going 
further  ?  Is  not  the  ever-living,  ever-present  God,  who 
makes  the  flowers  and  rules  the  world,  the  ordainer  of 
our  lot,  the  appointer  of  our  circumstances  ?  And  if  this 
be  so,  does  not  belief  in  it  give  sacredness  to  earthly 
duties,  and  dignity  to  those  which  are  most  trivial  ? 

2.  Makp-  apijlication  of  this  truth  to  the  occtq^cctions  of  life. 

There  are  times  when  we  feel  as  if  we  could  do  better 
work  than  falls  to  our  share.  In  the  depressed,  condition 
of  commerce  especially,  well-educated  men  are  forced  to 
take  up  employment  which  leaves  their  best  and  most 
cultivated  powers  unused.  Thousands  who  are  capable 
of  swaying  the  multitude  by  noble  speech,  are  using  their 
pens  to  win  the  barest  livelihood ;  and  many  women 
with  well-trained  intellects  and  splendid  capacity,  some- 
times ask  themselves  why  they  should  have  sunk  down 
till  they  are  little  more  than  household  drudges.  Well, 
if  this  life  be  all ;  if  it  be  only  on  earth  that  our  faculties 
are  to  be  exercised ;  if  this  be  the  place  of  reaping  and 
not  of  sowing,  the  scene  of  reward  and  not  of  training; 
we  should  perhaps  be  justified  in  believing  either  that  an 
evil  destiny  as  well  as  a  good  God  was  at  work,  or  else  in 
complaining  that  the  absolute  and  only  Ruler  of  all  things 
was  not  just  and  equal  in  His  ways.  But  we  believe  that 
what  He  has  ordained,  as  well  as  what  He  has  created, 
will  prove  to  be  good  and  best  in  the  long  run ;  that 
drudgery  is  as  divine  as  dignity ;  and  that  training  for 
the  hereafter  is  more  valuable  than  triumph  here. 

Everything  depends  on  how  you  receive  and  do  your 
work.     You  may  go  to  your  office  as  a  grumbling  slave, 


OUR  CHARTER  OF  FREEDOM.         I/I 

or  you  may  go  as  Christ's  happy  servant.  You  may  find 
in  it  a  place  of  torment,  where  your  temper  will  be 
fretted  and  your  spirit  lacerated  by  slights  and  by 
vexations  and  by  injustices ;  or  you  may  find  in  it  a 
sphere  of  self-conquest,  where  you  will  win  victory  over 
yourself,  and  reveal  the  dignity  and  serenity  of  a  citizen 
of  heaven.  You  may  look  into  your  work  till  you  wonder 
that  you  should  be  so  humiliated  as  to  have  such  a  thing 
to  do,  or  you  may  look  through  your  work  until  you  see 
the  blessedness  of  service  for  the  noblest  Master.  Make 
George  Herbert's  quaint  and  beautiful  prayer  your  own : — 

"  Teach  me,  my  God  and  King, 
In  all  tilings  Thee  to  see  ; 
And  what  I  do  in  anything, 
To  do  it  as  for  Thee  ! 

"  A  man  that  looks  on  glass 
On  it  may  stay  his  eye  ; 
Or,  if  he  pleaseth,  through  it  pass, 
And  then  the  heaven  espy. 

"  All  may  of  Thee  partake  ; 
Nothing  can  be  so  mean 
Which,  with  this  tincture,  for  Thy  sake, 
Will  not  grow  bright  and  clean. 

"A  servant  with  this  clause 
Makes  drudgery  divine  ; 
Who  sweeps  a  room,  as  for  Thy  laws, 
Makes  that  and  th'  action  fine. 

"  This  is  the  famous  stone 
That  turueth  all  to  gold  : 
For  that  which  God  doth  touch  and  owa 
Cannot  for  less  be  told." 


172  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

No  occupation  (unless  there  be  sin  in  it)  is  to  be 
spurned,  no  creature  of  God  is  to  be  rejected,  but  we  are 
to  say  with  the  apostle,  "  I  know,  and  am  persuaded  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  'that  there  is  nothing  unclean  of  itself.' "  Evil 
is  not  in  the  thing,  but  in  the  spirit  which  wrongly  receives, 
or  uses,  the  thing.  As  Jesus  Himself  taught,  nothing 
from  without  can  defile  a  man,  but  that  which  is  from 
within  does  defile  him,  and  all  that  he  touches  and  does. 
The  man  with  an  unclean  heart  will  see  impurity  in  what 
is  innocent ;  the  man  with  a  false  heart  will  transform  an 
act  of  religious  worship  into  a  sin ;  the  man  with  a  thank- 
less, godless  heart  will  use  as  a  gratification  of  appetite 
what  might  be  a  holy  sacrament. 

III.  The  testing  power  of  this  Principle. — Nothing 
is  to  be  rejected  if  it  be  received  with  thanksgiving.  But 
that  implies  that  you  ought  to  reject  what  you  cannot 
receive  with  thanksgiving  to  God.  If  there  is  something 
in  using  which  remembrance  of  God  would  make  you 
ashamed ;  or  something  which  may  lead  you  to  excess  or 
to  evil  desire,  or  to  intoxication,  or  to  any  sin ;  or  some- 
thing about  which  you  feel  you  cannot  say,  "  0  God,  I 
thank  Thee  for  this,"  then  it  is  to  be  rejected  ;  but  if  it  be 
otherwise,  use  your  liberty  freely  as  the  children  of  God. 
Prayer  and  thanksgiving  to  God  may  be  to  you  what  the 
legendary  Eastern  king  found  his  formula  to  be,  for  when 
a  cup  of  poison  was  put  within  his  reach,  and  he  took  it 
into  his  hand,  he  named  the  name  of  God  and  made 
the  sign  of  the  cross  over  it,  according  to  his  constant 
custom,  and  the  poisoned  chalice  was  suddenly  shattered 
in  his   hand,   and   all   the   poison  was   spilled.      Name 


OUR    CHARTER   OF   FREEDOM.  1 73 

God's  name  over  everything  doubtful,  and  no  poison  of 
sin  shall  hurt  you.  There  is  still  a  sense  in  which  the 
promise  of  the  Lord  is  true  for  all  His  disciples,  "  They 
shall  take  up  serpents,  and  if  they  drink  any  deadly  thing 
it  shall  not  hurt  them." 

IV.  The  twofold  reason  given  for  this  Principle. — 
In  the  5  th  verse  the  apostle  explains  more  fully  how  com- 
mon things  are  made  sacred.  I  say  advisedly  made  sacred, 
for  the  word  he  uses  means  just  that.  It  does  not  signify 
that  the  things  are  declared  to  be  holy,  but  that  they  are 
actually  made  holy  by  the  word  of  God  and  prayer. 

1 .  Now  the  "  word  of  God "  is  not  the  utterance  of 
His  name  over  food  as  a  sort  of  talisman  ;  for  absurdities 
of  the  nature  of  transubstantiation  have  no  foundation  in 
the  New  Testament.  The  allusion  is  to  "  the  word,"  or 
command  of  God,  which  expressly  gave  permission  and 
authority  to  man  to  use  whatever  was  suitable  for  him 
in  the  vegetable  and  in  the  animal  kingdom — "  Every 
moving  thing  that  liveth  shall  be  meat  for  you  ;  even  as 
the  green  herb  have  I  given  you  all  things."  That 
divine  ordinance  makes  all  things  sacred  for  the  use  of 
man ;  but  man's  loyal  and  grateful  acceptance  of  it  must 
be  combined  with  the  ordinance,  in  order  to  make  his  use 
of  things  a  right  and  not  a  usurpation.  Hence  the  apostle 
says,  everything  is  made  sacred  by  the  word  of  God — 

2.  And  Prayer,  and  these  which  God  has  joined  let 
no  man  put  asunder.  In  the  former  phrase  you  see  the 
top  of  the  ladder  which  reaches  heaven,  in  the  latter  you 
see  the  foot  of  it  resting  on  the  earth — and  to  a  prayerless 
man  it  is  only  a  vision  of  glory  beyond  his  reach.     God's 


174  EPISTLE  TO    TIMOTHY. 

word  to  you  bestows  tlie  gift,  but  your  word  to  God 
must  appropriate  the  gift,  or  else  it  is  not  sacred  and 
divine. 

No  doubt  what  is  here  required  of  us  is  the  spirit 
of  thankfulness,  but  the  expression  of  it  should  not  be 
withheld  ;  and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  growing  disuse 
of  the  old  custom  of  "  grace  before  meat  "  is  leading  some 
children  to  forgetfulness  of  the  Giver,  though  they  are 
taught  to  repeat  the  prayer,  "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily 
bread."  That  time-honoured,  sacred  custom  should  find 
place  in  all  your  homes ;  and  while  on  the  one  hand  you 
do  not  make  it  a  long  inappropriate  prayer  for  spiritual 
blessing,  on  the  other  hand  see  that  it  is  not  treated  as 
if  it  were  a  charm,  or  incantation,  to  be  gabbled  through 
without  thought  or  meaning.  Let  us  not  forget  or  de- 
spise the  Christian  custom  of  thanksgiving,  which  even 
in  the  earliest  days  was  general  in  its  observance  ;  in- 
deed, we  could  not  do  better  than  adopt  a  grace  which 
was  used  so  early  that  it  was  known  to  Timothy's 
disciples,  and  with  it  we  close  : — 

"  Blessed  be  Thou,  0  Lord,  who  hast  nourished  me 
from  my  youth,  who  givest  food  to  all  flesh.  Fill  our 
hearts  with  joy  and  gladness,  that  we,  always  having  all 
sufficiency,  may  abound  unto  every  good  work,  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord,  through  whom  to  Thee  be  glory,  honour, 
and  power  for  ever.     Amen." 


(     175     ) 


III. 

COUNSELS  TO  GOD'S  SERVANTS. 
(i  Tim.  iv.  6-10.) 

The  wise  counsels  given  here  to  Timotliy  have  their 
value  in  every  age,  and  in  every  land,  for  those  who  are 
called  upon  to  teach  and  warn  their  fellows.  Foremost 
among  these  counsels  (when  thrown  into  a  hortatory 
form)  is  this — 

I.  Make  known  the  Truth,  and  the  Truth  will 
STRENGTHEN  YOU. — "  If  thou  put  the  brethren  in  remem- 
brance of  these  things  thou  shalt  be  .  .  .  nourished." 
The  verb  used  by  Paul  does  not  signify,  as  our  transla- 
tion of  it  does,  the  reminding  people  of  what  they  knew 
already,  but  had  forgotten  ;  it  simply  means  that  the 
doctrine  unfolded  in  the  previous  verses  was  to  be  pre- 
sented in  a  suitable  way  to  the  minds  of  others. 

I.  It  is  to  he  noted  that  neither  here  nor  elseivhere  was 
Timothy  called  upon  to  he  a  dictator,  hut  a  teacher:  he 
was  to  give  counsels  rather  than  commands.  Indeed  this 
was  the  attitude  assumed  by  the  apostles  themselves,  who 
felt  that  dictatorial  authority  in  matters  of  conscience 
was  their  Lord's  alone. 

Religious  truth   demands  the  willing  assent  of  mind 


176  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

and  of  conscience,  and  is  valueless  if  it  is  imposed  as 
a  creed  by  force  or  fraud.  Like  the  germ  of  life  in  a 
seed  of  corn  it  must  be  received  into  a  kindly  soil ; 
for  only  when  soil  and  seed  work  together  is  a  harvest 
possible.  You  may  build  a  wall  or  a  house  on  any 
soil — clay,  or  rock,  or  chalk — delving  away  till  a  smooth 
surface  is  prepared  to  receive  the  bricks  and  mortar 
superimposed  upon  it,  and  the  stability  of  your  building 
will  not  be  much  affected  by  the  nature  of  the  ground. 
But  it  is  not  thus  you  can  get  a  harvest.  A  harvest 
cannot  be  had  on  every  soil,  because  it  is  the  product  of 
life,  and  life  needs  to  be  in  contact  with  certain  forces 
before  it  can  multiply  itself.  So  in  the  higher  sphere. 
You  can  make  a  child  learn  a  creed  and  repeat  it  without 
fault,  but  that  mental  structure  is  only  like  the  dead 
work  of  the  builder.  Truth  needs  to  be  welcomed  by 
love,  and  thought,  and  will,  as  the  seed  must  be  received 
into  good  soil,  and  then  the  increase  comes.  Hence  it  is 
that  the  responsibility  of  each  as  to  the  reception  or  the 
rejection  of  Christian  truth  is  personal ;  and  the  lesson 
for  us  teachers  is  important — that  we  should  present  the 
truth  affectionately,  clearly,  and  prayerfully,  but  we  must 
throw  the  onus  of  dealing  with  it  upon  each  hearer. 
"  Nor  for  that  we  have  dominion  over  your  faith ;  but 
are  helpers  of  your  joy."  This  should  be  the  motto  of 
every  Christian  teacher. 

2.  Observe  also  the  reflex  action  of  such  teachiTig.  If 
you  put  others  in  mind  of  these  things  you  will  yourself 
be  "  nourished."  This  is  but  throwing  into  another  form 
the  familiar  truths,   "  There   is  that  scattereth,  and  yet 


COUNSELS   TO   GODS   SERVANTS.  1 77 

increaseth  ;  "  "  Give  and  it  shall  be  given  you  ;  "  "  To  him 
that  hath  "  (who  so  possesses  as  to  use  to  the  utmost)  "  to 
him  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  have  abundance."  How 
true  this  is,  especially  in  mental  and  spiritual  experience. 
We  give  our  sympathy,  without  stint,  to  some  one  in 
trouble,  and  our  tenderness  of  feeling  is  thereby  intensified. 
We  use  what  little  knowledge  we  have  of  God's  Word,  or 
of  Christian  experience,  and  our  knowledge  grows.  The 
disciples  were  taught  this  in  a  concrete  form  when  they 
were  asked  to  give  up  to  others  the  few  loaves  and  fishes 
which  were  insufiicient  even  for  themselves  ;  and  not  only 
was  the  multitude  fully  satisfied,  but  the  givers  took  up 
for  themselves  of  fragments  left  over  twelve  basketsfull. 
Never  stint  others,  for  fear  of  impoverishing  yourself,  and 
"thou  shalt  be  a  good  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  nourished 
in  the  words  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  good  doctrine  which 
thou  hast  followed  until  now." 

II.  Reject  the  False  and  Tkivial  for  the  Teue 
AND  Real. 

I.  Timothy  is  warned  against  ^'profane  and  old  wives' 
fables,"  or  in  modern  parlance,  against  stories  which  are 
the  veriest  chatter  of  old  women.  Probably  Paul  alludes 
to  the  fables  and  endless  genealogies  of  which  he  else- 
where speaks.  Every  one  who  knows  anything  about  the 
later  Jewish  writings  can  recall  instances  of  these  ramb- 
ling and  unprofitable  enlargements  of  Scripture  teaching, 
which  were  obnoxious  to  a  man  of  sterling  common 
sense  and  spiritual  intelligence,  such  as  Paul.  Foolish 
and  trivial  discussions  and  fanciful  theories  have  often 
been  allowed  to  overlay  the  truth  of  God,  to  its  complete 


178  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

hiding,  or  at  least  to  its  sad  enfeeblement.  They  are 
like  a  heap  of  decaying  refuse  covering  the  verdant  grass, 
whose  pale  and  enfeebled  shoots  show  what  its  effect  has 
been  even  after  it  has  been  cleared  away.  Let  the  truth 
about  sin,  and  about  Christ  the  Saviour  from  sin,  be  kept 
in  the  light ;  and  beware  lest  it  be  covered  over  and 
forgotten  under  oratorical  prettinesses,  or  philosophical 
speculations. 

2.  The  man  of  God  has  something  tetter  to  do  than 
to  amuse  his  imagination  or  the  imagination  of  others,  and 
must  "  exercise  himself  rather  unto  godliness."  God  does 
not  ask  us  to  give  up  pleasures  or  even  follies  for  the  mere 
sake  of  cultivating  an  ascetic  temper,  but  in  order  that 
we  may  be  the  more  free  for  higher  pursuits  and  a  nobler 
service,  knowing  that  those  who  would  attain  unto  godli- 
ness must  "  exercise  "  themselves  thereunto.  To  spend 
the  week  in  thoughtlessness  and  triviality,  and  then  to 
sit  with  inert  mind  under  the  preaching  of  the  trath  on 
Sunday,  with  an  occasional  spasm  of  repentance,  or  a 
feeble  attempt  at  the  repetition  of  a  prayer,  is  only  to 
mock  God  with  unreality.  As  the  Greek  athlete  would 
"  exercise  "  himself^  and  spend  his  time  in  learning  and 
in  practising  privately  what  would  be  of  use  in  the 
arena,  so  the  Christian  is  to  apply  his  mind  to  reading 
and  to  prayer,  to  self-conquest,  and  to  service  for  others, 
and  thus  to  exercise  himself  unto  godliness.  And  the 
word  Paul  uses,  drawn  as  it  is  from  the  athlete's  train- 
ing, is  suggestive  of  something  further.  The  veriest 
tyro,  even  in  the  modern  gymnasium,  knows  that  he 
must  often  attempt  to  do  what  he  thinks  he  cannot  do. 


COUNSELS   TO   GOD'S   SERVANTS.  1 79 

and  rise  from  a  failure  or  a  fall  to  try  the  jump  or  the 
climb  once  more.  Let  it  be  so  with  those  who  exercise 
themselves  unto  godliness.  You  think  you  cannot  teach, 
that  you  cannot  pray ;  but  "  exercise  thyself "  unto  it, 
and  with  God's  blessing  the  stammering  tongue  shall 
speak  and  the  fluttering  heart  be  ruled. 

III.  Keep  the  Body  in  its  true  place  as  subordi- 
nate TO  the  Spiritual  Life. — The  Eevised  Version  is  to 
be  preferred  to  the  Authorised  in  its  rendering  of  the 
eighth  verse,  "bodily  exercise  is  profitable  for  a  Little,  but 
godliness  is  profitable  for  all  things."  The  apostle's 
reference  is  not  to  the  asceticism  which  by  flagellations 
and  vigils  kept  the  body  under,  but  to  the  gymnastic 
exercises  of  the  athlete,  of  which  he  had  been  reminded 
by  the  verb  used  in  the  preceding  verse.  He  was  one 
who  would  heartily  approve  of  such  exercise  as  would 
develop  and  maintain  physical  vigour,  which  is  essential 
to  the  right  and  cheerful  doing  of  most  work.  "  Bodily 
exercise  is  profitable  for  a  little,"  although,  in  comparison 
with  spiritual  exercise,  it  is  not  so  far-reaching  in  its 
result.  The  Greek  gained  a  measure  of  good,  a  certain 
amount  of  profit  within  a  limited  sphere,  for  his  agility 
and  healthiness  were  promoted ;  but  Christians  had 
other  results  to  look  for  besides  and  beyond  keeping 
in  sound  condition  the  body,  which  for  a  time  they 
dwelt  in. 

Now,  this  teaching  has  its  value  for  ns  in  the  pre- 
sent day.  Games  and  sports  which  call  for  physical 
exercise  or  for  physical  restraint  are  profitable.  The 
young  lad  at  school,  or  the  clerk  in  an  ofi&ce,  or  the 

13 


l8o  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

student  at  the  university  is  largely  benefited  by  the 
cricket-field  and  the  boating  club ;  for  not  only  is  every 
physical  power  God-given  and  sacred,  and  therefore  to  be 
developed,  but  athletic  training  demands  abstinence  from 
late  hours,  from  intoxicating  liquors,  and  from  excess  of 
any  kind.  Many  who  have  gone  out  to  the  mission- 
field  have  found  their  training  in  the  cricket-field  a 
help  and  not  a  hindrance.  But  though  bodily  exercise 
is  profitable,  and  each  of  us  should  try  to  have  the 
"  mens  sanis  in  corpore  sano"  it  is  only  profitable  for  a 
little  when  compared  with  what  is  within  our  reach  if  we 
exercise  ourselves  "  unto  godliness,"  for  the  body  will 
soon  perish,  but  the  soul  will  live  for  ever ;  the  physical 
strength  will  soon  pass  away,  but  the  powers  of  loving 
and  serving,  won  through  prayer,  will  fit  us  for  serving 
among  the  angels. 

"  Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having  pro-' 
mise  of  the  life  that  now  is  and  of  that  which  is  to 
come."  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all 
acceptation."  Yes,  even  our  present  life  is  made  deeper, 
richer,  and  holier  through  knowing  and  loving  our  God. 
Its  bitterness  is  sweetened,  its  disappointments  are  made 
bearable,  its  pleasures  are  made  sacred,  and  in  itself  it 
appears  to  us  only  as  the  germ  of  that  which  is  to  come. 

"  0  Breather  into  men  of  breath, 
O  Holder  of  the  keys  of  death, 
0  Giver  of  the  hfe  within. 
Save  us  from  death,  the  death  of  sin  ; 
That  body,  soul  and  spirit,  be 
For  ever  living  unto  Thee." 


COUNSELS    TO    GOD'S   SERVANTS.  l8l 

IV.  Let  hope  in  the  Living  God  be  your  inspira- 
tion IN  Labour  and  Suffering. — "  For  therefore  we 
both  labour  and  suffer  reproach,  because  we  trust  in  the 
livinf^  God,  who  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  especially  of 
those  that  believe." 

This  verse  explains  what  Paul  meant  by  living  a  life 
of  godliness.  "  Life  "  is  not  mere  existence,  however  pro- 
longed, nor  mere  enjoyment  of  existence  ;  but  existence 
used  for  others,  in  the  strength  and  under  the  blessing  of 
God.  The  true  saint  "  labours  and  suffers  reproach  " — 
or  rather,  "  toils  and  strives " — in  the  service  of  his 
God ;  and  he  is  not  troubled  when  ill-requited,  nor 
disheartened  by  seeming  failure,  because  he  trusts  in  the 
living  God,  in  whom  he  has  an  endless  heritage  of  peaceful 
and  most  blessed  life.  For  "  He  is  the  Saviour  of  all 
men."  By  His  watchful  and  beneficent  Providence  He  is 
constantly  preserving  them,  and  continuing  to  them  the 
use  of  the  life  that  now  is ;  and  if  in  a  yet  higher  sense 
He  is  not  their  "  Saviour,"  it  is  not  from  lack  of  power, 
or  of  will,  to  save,  but  because  they  refuse  His  offers  until 
He  cries,  "  Ye  will  not  come  to  Me,  that  ye  might  have 
life."  And  if  He  does  so  much  for  sinful  men,  what  will 
He  not  do  for  those  who  have  trusted  in  His  Word  and 
cast  themselves  on  His  mercy  ? 

Work  and  strive,  then,  in  His  service,  as  one  who 
believes  in  His  readiness  to  give  all  that  pertains  to  life 
and  to  godliness  ;  and  speak  and  plead  with  others  as 
one  who  believes  that  in  His  love,  in  the  Saviour's 
atonement,  in  the  heaven  He  has  prepared,  salvation  ia 
proffered  to  all. 


I  82  EPISTLE  TO   TIMOTHY. 

"  Let  all  men  know  that  all  men  move 
Under  a  canopy  of  love, 
As  broad  as  the  blue  sky  above  ; 
That  doubt  and  trouble,  fear  and  pain. 
And  anguish,  all  are  shadows  vain  ; 
That  death  itself  shall  not  remain." 


(     183     ) 


IV. 

CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
TEACHER. 

(I  Tim.  iv.  11-16.) 

With  true  affection,  and  with  heavenly  wisdom,  Paul 
exhorts  his  son  in  the  faith  to  be  mindful  of  his  conduct 
and  character.  What  was  expected  of  Timothy  may  be 
fairly  demanded  of  us,  who,  in  the  tone  and  tendency 
of  the  social  life  around  us,  possess  incalculably  greater 
advantages  than  he.  And  what  is  required  of  every 
Christian,  even  the  lowliest,  ought  most  of  all  to  charac- 
terise those  who  are  the  teachers  of  others,  in  the  class, 
in  the  Church,  and  in  the  home.  Tt  is  through  them, 
through  their  words  and  characters,  that  the  truth  is  to 
be  made  known,  and  in  respect  of  all  that  we  have  learnt 
of  God  and  of  His  ways,  the  exhortation  comes  to  each, 
"  These  things  command  and  teach."  There  are  truths 
which  warrant  not  only  clear  enunciation,  but  also  bold 
enforcement,  because  they  are  not  of  man  but  of  God, 
and  we  are  His  channels  of  communication  with  the 
world.  Warnings  against  sin,  rebukes  of  cynical  scepti- 
cism, denunciations  of  vice  in  its  multitudinous  forms, 
calls  to  repentance,  invitations  to  the  Saviour,  as  our  only 


184  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

hope,  all  these  should  be  uttered  with  no  wavering  sound. 
In  your  homes,  when  the  children  are  about  you  ;  in  the 
class,  towards  which  your  responsibility  is  so  tremendous  ; 
through  the  press,  whose  influence  is  wider  than  ever ; 
obey  the  mandate,  "  These  things  command  and  teach." 
But  words  from  a  teacher  without  character  are  like  bullets 
without  powder,  and  will  fall  as  harmlessly,  dropping  far 
short  of  their  mark. 

Here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  the  apostle  exhorts  to — 
I.  The  Maintenance  of  Moral  Dignity.  —  Timothy 
was  at  this  time  in  the  full  vigour  of  his  manhood,  al- 
though he  was  young  for  the  responsibilities  which  rested 
upon  him  in  Ephesus ;  and  the  solemn  charge  just  given 
him  would  make  him  more  than  ever  painfully  conscious 
of  his  youth  and  inexperience.  He  had  to  rebuke  those 
who  were  older  than  himself,  in  days  when  age  received 
more  honour  than  unfortunately  it  does  now ;  and  the 
false  teachers,  who  made  it  difficult  even  for  Paul — older 
in  years  and  higher  in  dignity  than  Timothy — to  maintain 
his  authority,  would  take  every  possible  advantage  of  the 
inexperience  of  this  young  evangelist,  regarding  him  as 
an  upstart,  and  refusing  to  submit  to  his  authority. 

I.  The  tendency  of  Timothy  was  to  yield  rather  than 
to  command,  to  sacrifice  truth  for  the  sake  of  'peace,  and 
to  lessen  his  own  authority  hy  morbid  self- depreciation. 
Probably  this  is  not  so  common  amongst  us  as  self-confi- 
dence ;  but  it  is  a  serious  fault,  and  may  be  a  grievous 
hindrance  to  usefulness.  Unless  you  believe  yourself  to 
be  capable  of  doing  something  better  than  you  are  now 
doing  you  will  hesitate  to  attempt  it.      If  you  cannot  trust 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER.     I  8  5 

God  to  help  you  through  an  onerous  duty  you  will  be  in 
danger  of  evading  it.  Much  noble  service  has  been  lost  to 
the  Church  and  to  the  world  by  a  foolish  self-depreciation. 
I  remember  one  who  became  a  very  successful  man  telling 
me  that  his  early  youth  was  blighted  by  this  morbid 
tendency,  and  that  he  owed  all  his  prosperity  to  a  wise- 
hearted,  loving,  motherly  woman,  who  took  pity  on  the  sen- 
sitive, shrinking  lad,  and  made  him  believe  in  himself,  as 
one  gifted  by  God  to  do  something  in  the  world.  While 
guarding  yourself  against  conceit  and  vanity,  do  not  fall 
into  the  error  of  self-depreciation.  "  Let  no  man  despise 
thy  youth."  Be  manly,  and  brave,  and  firm,  lest  you  sacri- 
fice interests  which  God  has  intrusted  to  your  charge. 

2.  But  the  way  to  overcome  the  disadvantage  of  youth 
in  the  opinion  of  others^  and  to  gain  influence  over  them, 
is  clearly  suggested  here.  It  is  not  to  be  done  by  noisy 
s  'If-assertion,  by  the  evident  desire  to  be  prominent,  but 
by  becoming,  through  Divine  grace,  an  exemplar  of  real 
Christian  worth.  Whether  this  appears  among  the  bro- 
thers and  sisters  at  home,  or  among  godless  companions 
in  the  office,  or  among  those  associated  in  religious  worship 
and  work,  it  always  tells,  winning  for  its  possessor  love 
and  esteem,  and  endowing  him  with  an  influence  which 
sometimes  amazes  himself.  "Be  thou  an  example  of  the 
believers,  in  word,  in  conversation  (or  behaviour),  in 
charity,  in  faith,  in  purity."  (The  phrase  "in  spirit"  is 
properly  omitted  from  the  Revised  Version.) 

(i .)  It  is  through  our  "  word  "  that  we  chiefly  manifest 
to  others  the  nature  of  our  inner  life,  and  the  tone  and 
temper  thus  exhibited  either  weakens  or  strengthens  our 


1 86  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

influence  for  good.  (2.)  But  words  must  he  in  harmony 
vnth  conduct,  and  he  would  be  a  poor  maintainer  of  Christ's 
cause  whose  words  were  admirable  while  his  general  be- 
haviour was  frivolous  or  faulty.  (3.)  Nor  is  it  enough 
to  watch  over  our  words  and  behaviour,  but  we  must 
pay  regard  to  motive  and  impulse,  because  we  have  to 
do  with  and  to  bear  witness  for  the  great  Searcher  of 
hearts,  and  should  see  that  love  and  faith  are  the  twin 
motive  powers  of  our  life — love  which  really  cares 
for  the  interests  of  others,  faith  which  lays  hold  upon 
the  strength  and  wisdom  of  an  unseen  yet  ever  present 
God.  (4.)  And  added  to  all  these  must  be  unquestioned 
'purity,  which  will  make  us  so  scrupulous  about  moral 
improprieties  that  the  breath  of  slander  will  fade  away 
instantly  from  the  polished  shield  of  our  reputation,  and 
will  keep  the  inner  life  clear  and  chaste,  while  it  gives  us 
the  fulfilment  of  the  Lord's  words,  "  Blessed  are  the  pure 
in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 

II.  Again — Preparation  for  Christian  Work  is  in- 
culcated here  as  well  as  maintenance  of  moral  dignity. 
The  apostle  appears  to  have  expected  an  early  return  to 
Ephesus,  and  hence  writes — 

I.  ^^  Till  I  come  give  attention  to  the  reading,  to  the 
exhortation,  to  the  teaching."  The  reference  is  primarily 
to  the  public  duties  of  the  Christian  teacher.  The  "  read- 
ing" of  Holy  Scripture  in  religious  assemblies,  which 
had  been  transferred  from  the  synagogue,  formed  no  in- 
considerable part  of  the  public  worship  of  those  days,  as 
any  one  can  imagine  who  reflects  on  the  cost  and  rarity 
of  manuscripts.     "  Exhortation  "  was  often  heard — appeals 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER.     I  87 

to  affection  and  to  enthusiasm,  which  led  many  a  believer 
to  give  himself  up  entirely  to  the  service  of  the  Lord. 
And  coincident  with  this  was  steady  consecutive  "  teach- 
ing" by  means  of  which  God's  Word  was  expounded, 
applied,  and  illustrated.  The  helps  which  may  fit  us  to 
do  this  are  now  innumerable ;  and  he  is  without  excuse 
who,  for  want  of  due  preparation,  puts  silly  stories  in  the 
place  of  practical  exposition,  or  lets  off  rhetorical  fireworks 
when  the  world  wants  the  steady  light  of  Christian  truth. 
2.  But  the  work  to  which  Tiviothy  was  called  required 
in  the  first  'place  "  a  gift"  which  the  apostle  says  was 
given  him  instrumentally — "  by  prophecy,  with  the  laying 
on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery."  The  word  used  for 
"  gift "  denotes  that  it  came  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  with 
whom  it  is  always  associated  in  Paul's  writings.  Even 
from  his  youth  Timothy  had  been  destined  to  peculiar 
evangelistic  work,  and  God  gave  him  grace  proportioned 
to  this  calling.  "  Prophets  "  in  the  Church  had  proclaimed 
this,  and  it  was  from  their  lips  that  the  young  evangelist 
had  the  assurance  of  his  gift  and  calling ;  and  this  had 
been  confirmed  by  "the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the 
presbytery,"  by  which  rite  he  had  been  set  apart  for  his 
special  work.  The  prophetic  voice  had  been  God's  call  to 
liis  responsive  soul,  and  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the 
presbytery  had  denoted  the  concurrence  of  the  Church, 
who  sent  him  forth  in  their  name  and  with  their  prayers. 
The  gift  bestowed  was  not  the  gift  of  miracles,  for  that 
was  never  given  except  through  the  apostles,  and  they 
had  no  power  to  intrust  the  function  to  others.  Hence 
"the  seven,"  who  were   themselves  endued  with  super- 


165  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

natural  power,  could  not  convey  it  to  others  ;  but  when 
Philip  would  gladly  have  so  enriched  his  converts,  he 
could  only  ask  for  Peter  and  John  to  do  so.  But  the 
presbytery,  consisting  of  humble  and  obscure  pastors, 
could  set  apart  for  service  those  whom  God  endued  and 
called ;  indeed  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  sent  forth  by 
unknown  men  to  the  work  to  which  God  had  called  them. 
These  two — the  gift  of  God  and  the  recognition  of  it  by 
the  Church — should  ever  be  combined  in  the  pastor  who 
is  working  for  Christ. 

3.  But  he  is  foolish  and  sinful  who  relics  on  tlie 
•possession  of  a  gift,  or  the  recognition  of  it  hy  others. 
Neglected,  the  gift  will  perish,  and  the  life  of  promise 
will  end  in  miserable  failure.  Therefore,  in  the  acquire- 
ment of  knowledge  and  in  the  impartation  of  it,  "  neglect 
not  the  gift  that  is  in  thee."  But  "  be  diligent  in 
these  things — give  thyself  wholly  to  them,  that  thy  pro- 
gress may  be  manifest  unto  all."  The  phrase  rendered 
"  give  thyself  wholly  to  them,"  might  be  more  literally 
translated  "  be  in  them "  —  have  your  life  in  such 
thoughts  and  truths ;  let  them  constitute  the  atmosphere 
you  breathe,  and  then  your  religious  work  will  not  be  a 
something  artificial  and  foreign  to  your  nature,  but  the 
necessary  outcome  of  your  inward  life. 

4.  Give  heed,  then,  unto  thyself  and  unto  the  doctrine. 
Cultivate  such  gifts  as  you  have,  and  use  them  with- 
out stint  in  your  Master's  service  ;  and  see  to  it  that 
the  teaching  you  give  is  not  the  chance  utterance  of  a 
thoughtless  mind,  but  the  product  of  earnest  thinking, 
and  of  believing  prayer.     Thus  only  will  you  "  continue  in 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER.     I  89 

them."  For  without  the  renewal  of  strength  which  comes 
from  waiting  upon  God,  however  rich  and  vigorous  your 
mind  may  be,  your  work  will  prove  but  a  spasm  ending 
in  rigidity  and  death. 

III.  Finally,  Paul  looked  to  see  in  Timothy  (and 
God  looks  to  see   in  us)  keadine6S  for  the  promised 

REWARD. 

1.  It  is  no  small  blessing  which  is  promised  in 
the  I  5  th  verse,  "  that  thy  projiting  "  {or  rather  thy  2^ro- 
gress)  "  may  appear  unto  all."  Not  only  will  you  be 
conscious  of  growth  in  knowledge  and  experience,  by  the 
faithful  use  of  what  is  already  yours,  but 'those  around 
you  will  rejoice  over  it  too,  both  those  who  love  you, 
and  all  who  meet  you  in  the  walks  of  life.  You  shall 
be  a  living  epistle,  known  and  read  of  all  men. 

2.  Nay,  more  than  tJiis,  "  Thou  shall  loth  save  thyself 
and  them  that  hear  thee."  No  joy  in  heaven  will  be 
greater  than  this,  that  you  will  meet  there  those  who 
were  first  helped  to  see  their  sin,  and  to  come  to 
the  Saviour's  feet  by  your  words.  And  nothing  is  more 
likely  to  aid  you  in  your  own  progress  heavenward  than 
the  desire  and  effort  to  help  others  thither.  Great  as  is 
the  temptation  to  become  perfunctory  and  professional 
in  the  service  of  Christ,  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  the  help- 
fulness of  such  work  to  our  own  spiritual  life  is  mar- 
vellous, for  it  brings  us  near  to  God,  and  near  to  our 
fellows,  and  makes  us  more  like  in  spirit  to  Him  who 
came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.  A 
traveller  who  was  sinking  from  exhaustion  in  a  snow- 
storm on  the  mountain  saw  his  companion  suddenly  drop 


I90  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

helpless  at  his  side ;  straightway  his  own  peril  was 
forgotten,  and,  flinging  himself  beside  him,  he  chafed 
his  hands  and  rubbed  his  chest ;  and  by  the  effort  which 
brought  life  back  to  the  dying  he  kept  himself  alive 
— he  saved  both  himself  and  the  friend  beside  him. 
For  your  own  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  others,  spend  and 
be  spent  in  this  glorious  service,  and  not  only  will  your 
own  life  be  the  fuller  here,  but  heaven  itself  will  be  made 
incomparably  more  full  of  joy. 

I  charge  you  in  the  name  of  the  Saviour,  who  died  for 
all ;  by  the  love  you  feel  towards  those  around  you,  and 
by  your  hopes  of  welcome  and  reward  in  the  land  of  the 
leal,  be  not  content  to  be  saved  alone,  lest  by  indolence 
and  selfishness  even  your  own  salvation  be  risked. 


SERMONETTES  ON  FIFTH  CHAPTER. 


(     193     ) 


I. 

CHRISTIAN  REPROOFS. 

(l  TiM.V.  I,  2.) 

I.  The  Necessity  and  the  Nature  of  Christian 
Reproof  are  both  suggested  in  the  first  verse  of  this 
chapter.  Though  age  was  always  to  be  reverenced,  even 
those  in  advanced  life  were  to  be  rebuked  when  their 
conduct  was  inconsistent  with  their  Christian  profession. 
A  jealous  regard  for  the  reputation  of  fellow-members 
would  necessitate  this ;  for  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  is 
exactly  the  converse  of  the  spirit  of  Cain,  who  asked, 
"  Am  I  my  brother's  keeper  ?  "  If,  therefore,  we  see  a 
Christian  friend  pursuing  a  course  which  is  likely  to 
injure  the  Church ;  or  if  in  his  daily  conduct  there 
appears  some  fault  hardly  suspected  by  himself;  or  if 
there  be  in  him,  or  in  his  manner,  something  that  may 
lead  to  the  loss  of  his  reputation ;  by  our  love  to  him,  as 
well  as  by  our  zeal  for  Christ,  we  are  bound  to  speak. 

This  requires  not  only  a  sincere  regard  for  our 
brother's  welfare,  but  also  at  times  considerable  moral 
courage.  Some  find  it  by  no  means  easy  to  point  out 
faults  even  to  their  own  children ;  but  they  fairly 
tremble  at  the  idea  of  being  faithful  to  those  who  are 


194  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

in  a  better  social  position  than  themselves,  or  to  those 
whose  age,  experience,  or  learning  give  them  in  other 
departments  of  life  influence  and  authority.  Hence  not 
only  kings,  but  many  others  in  high  position,  are  in 
danger,  because  few  dare  speak  to  them  of  sins  or  of 
follies  which  would  be  plainly  condemned  if  they  were 
poorer;  and,  therefore,  they  require  more  than  others 
to  examine  themselves  with  all  fidelity  and  earnest- 
ness. And  we  must  evermore  pray  for  grace  that  in 
these  matters  we  may  be  faithful  to  each  other,  and 
that,  instead  of  cherishing  angry  feelings,  or  whispering 
cowardly  words  of  slander,  we  may  obey  the  Lord's  com- 
mand— "  Go  and  tell  thy  brother  his  fault  between  thee 
and  him  alone." 

All  who  have  sought  to  do  this  are  conscious  of  its 
difficulty.  Speak  as  you  may,  you  will  not  improbably 
offend ;  for  your  brother  needs  as  much  grace  to  listen 
as  you  need  to  speak.  Yet  if  your  spirit  be  right ;  if 
your  motive  be  really  good ;  if  you  honestly  desire  to 
help  him  or  to  serve  the  Church,  and  not  to  relieve  your 
own  ill-temper,  you  may  win  him  to  a  true  brotherh- 
ness  and  to  an  ever-growing  mutual  esteem.  Spea,k  not 
unseasonably,  at  times  when  your  words  are  likely  to 
irritate  more,  but  use  the  opportunities  which  are  given 
of  God. 

"  Reprove  not  in  tlieir  wrath  incensed  men, 
Good  counsel  comes  clean  out  of  season  then  ; 
But  when  his  fury  is  appeased  and  past, 
He  will  conceive  his  fault  and  mend  at  last. 
When  he  is  cool  and  calm,  then  utter  it — 
No  man  gives  physic  in  the  midst  o'  th'  fit." 


CHRISTIAN    EEPROOFS.  I95 

II.  The  Mode  and  Spirit  in  which  Christian  Reproof 
SHOULD  BE  GIVEN  in  specified  cases  is  suggested  by  the 
apostle  here : — "  Rebuke  not  an  elder,  but  entreat  hira 
as  h  father ;  and  the  younger  men  as  brethren ;  the 
elder  women  as  mothers ;  the  younger  as  sisters ;  with 
all  purity." 

The  word  translated  "  rebuke "  means  to  reprimand 
sharply,  to  chide  in  a  rough  or  arrogant  manner,  or  in  a 
domineering  temper;  and  this  is  condemned  by  all  the 
teaching  of  our  Lord  about  humility  and  charity.  For 
there  is  no  doubt  that  while  many  hesitate  to  be  faithful, 
others  delight  in  fault-finding.  In  everything  and  in 
everybody  they  see  what  may  be  condemned  and  shut 
their  eyes  to  what  may  be  commended.  Unhappy  souls, 
whose  views  of  life  are  distorted  and  discoloured  by  the 
spectacles  they  wear  !  In  pointing  out  faults,  we  are  to 
be  reverent  and  cautious,  as  well  as  earnest  and  manly ; 
and  in  discharging  this  duty  of  the  Christian  life  we  are 
called  upon  in  the  first  place  to  be — 

I .  Bcvcrent  towards  age.  It  is  unfortunate  that  the  Re- 
vised Version  has  confirmed  the  erroneous  interpretation 
often  put  upon  Paul's  words,  as  translated  in  the  Autho- 
rised Version.  "Rebuke  not  an  elder"  should  be,  "  Rebuke 
not  an  elderly  person."  The  reference  is  not  to  any  sort 
of  Church  official,  nor  is  the  suggestion  made  that  such 
can  do  no  wrong,  or  that  if  they  do  they  are  to  be  left 
unrebuked.  Imperfections  are  common  enough  amongst 
leaders  of  the  Churches,  and  do  more  harm  in  proportion 
to  the  dignity  of  the  offender.  The  apostle  makes  no  refer- 
ence here  to  official  standing,  but  to  age.     This  is  obvious, 

14 


ig6  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

from  the  fact  that  he  speaks  first  of  older  and  younger  men, 
and  then  of  older  and  younger  women.  The  want  of  reve- 
rence for  age  and  experience  was  never  more  common  than 
now,  and  even  in  the  highest  council  of  the  nation  has  some- 
times received  shameful  exemplification  and  encourage- 
ment. Ours  should  be  the  spirit  of  Samuel,  who,  even 
when  he  had  to  convey  a  message  from  God,  modestly 
hesitated,  waiting  for  a  good  opportunity  to  deliver  it,  and 
then  spoke  with  the  reverence  due  to  Eli's  age.  Do  not 
sharply  rebuke  one  older  than  yourself,  but  exhort  him  as 
a  son  might  exhort  the  father  whom  he  loves.  This  is 
Paul's  message  to  us  on  that  subject.  But  besides  reve- 
rence to  the  aged — 

2.  Love  .towards  the  hreihrcn  should  be  conspicuous 
in  every  word  of  reproof.  Not  anger,  nor  hatred,  nor 
suspicion,  but  love — for  they  are  our  brothers  in  Christ. 
And  with  this  must  be  combined — 

3.  Purity  toioards  women,  in  thought,  as  well  as  in 
word  and  act.  Nowhere  was  the  exhortation  more 
necessary  than  in  Ephesus,  and  no  one  needed  it  more 
than  Timothy,  whose  interviews  with  them  were  of 
necessity  frequent.  But  it  should  be  the  chief  ambition 
of  every  right-hearted  young  man,  to  maintain  a  chivalrous 
tone  in  all  conversation  with  women,  and  concerning 
them ;  and  to  put  down  with  a  strong  firm  hand  not 
only  all  that  may  savour  of  impurity,  but  all  that  may 
tend  to  lower  that  lofty  ideal  of  womanhood,  which  God 
seeks  to  create  in  the  heart  of  every  child,  through  the 
love  of  mother  and  of  sister ;  and  desires  to  keep  there, 
as  in  a  holy  shrine,  intact  and  unstained  for  evermore. 


(     197     ) 


II. 

HOME   RESPONSIBILITIES. 

(i  Tim.  v.  4,  8,  i6.) 

In  dealing  with  the  important  subject  of  the  charity  of 
the  Church,  Paul  refers  thrice  in  this  passage  (in  the 
4th,  8th,  and  1 6th  verses)  to  the  claims  of  kinship.  It 
is  in  harmony  with  Scripture  throughout,  that  he  esti- 
mates these  claims  far  higher  than  ecclesiasticism  has 
done.  There  seems  to  have  been  a  notion  in  the  Church, 
which  has  appeared  and  reappeared  in  different  ages 
with  varying  force,  that  in  proportion  as  the  family  is 
ignored,  the  Church  will  become  paramount  in  the 
thought  of  Christians.  Hence  the  praise  of  virginity, 
the  practice  of  celibacy  among  the  clergy,  and  so  forth. 
But  this  is  utterly  opposed  to  the  Divinely-given  instinct 
of  man ;  and  is  rebuked  and  condemned  by  none  more 
strongly  than  by  our  Lord  and  His  apostles.  Home  is 
the  pivot  on  which  humanity  turns ;  and  the  Church, 
instead  of  being  its  antagonist,  or  its  substitute,  is  simply 
its  enlargement,  and  is  of  value  to  the  world  in  propor- 
tion as  it  is  homelike. 

We  are  reminded  here — 

I.  That  home  responsibilities  are  to  be  accepted 


198  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

AS  THE  APPOINTMENT  OF  GOD. — The  sacredness  of  family 
relatiousliip  is  constantly  insisted  upon  both  in  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  New.  All  transgressions  against  it 
were  severely  punished  under  the  Mosaic  economy,  and 
were  condemned  still  more  solemnly  by  our  Lord.  And 
the  filial  duties  referred  to  here,  as  acts  of  requital 
which  common  gratitude  and  natural  affection  would 
dictate,  are  always  spoken  of  as  they  are  in  the  fourth 
verse  as  being  "  acceptable  to  God."  Amid  the  thunders 
of  Sinai,  and  on  the  tables  of  stone,  this  was  proclaimed, 
as  one  of  God's  •  first  commandments,  "  Honour  thy 
father  and  thy  mother."  And  when  the  everlasting 
Word  was  incarnate,  when  the  Great  Teacher  stood 
amongst  men,  of  whom  a  voice  from  heaven  said, 
"  This  is  My  Beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased, 
hear  Him,"  this  command  was  emphatically  reiterated, 
and  all  that  tended  to  make  it  of  no  effect  was  swept 
aside  and  condemned.  We  cannot  fail  to  remember  the 
stern  words  in  which  our  Lord  rebuked  the  teaching  of 
the  priests  upon  that  subject.  In  the  spirit  of  eccle- 
siasticism,  which  is  not  yet  dead,  they  urged  that  the 
Temple  ought  to  stand  before  the  home,  and  that  parents 
might  be  left  to  starve,  if  only  property  was  devoted  to 
pious  uses.  Covetous  men  were  ready  enough  to  take 
advantage  of  this  doctrine,  and  often  cheated  the  priests 
while  they  robbed  their  parents.  They  only  uttered  as  a 
sort  of  mystic  incantation  the  word  "  Corban  "  over  their 
property,  and  then  would  say  to  their  needy  parents,  "  But 
it  is  devoted  to  God,  so  that  I  cannot  give  it  to  you  ; " 
and,  according  to  Pharisaic  doctrine,  they  were  free  from 


HOME    RESPONSIBILITIES.  I  99 

filial  responsibility.  Sternly  did  our  Lord  condemn  those 
who  thus  made  void  the  Word  of  God  by  their  tradition. 
It  is  exactly  in  harmony  with  this  teaching  of  Jesus 
Christ  that  the  apostle  says  of  professedly  Christian  sons 
and  daughters,  "  Let  them  first  learn  to  show  piety  at 
home  " — for  this  is  their  prime  duty,  and  nothing  else 
can  take  its  place  ;  and  by  whomsoever  rendered  it  is 
"  acceptable  to  God." 

A  word  of  exposition  on  the  first  clause  in  the  fourth 
verse  is  desirable,  "  If  any  widows  have  children  or 
nephews,  let  them  {i.e.,  not  the  widows,  but  the  children 
or  nephews)  learn  first  to  show  piety  (filial  love)  at 
home."  The  word  nephews  is  used  by  our  translators 
in  its  old  English  sense,  and  is  rendered  in  the  Eevised 
Version  by  its  nearest  modern  equivalent,  "  grandchil- 
dren," for  in  the  writings  of  Chaucer,  Sir  Thomas  More, 
and  John  Locke,  "  nephews  "  is  used  to  denote  grand- 
children. And  similarly,  when  it  is  said  they  are  to 
requite  their  '■'"parents"  more  is  included  than  fathers  or 
mothers,  for  the  apostle's  word  is  equivalent  to  the  Scotch 
"forbears,"  for  which  the  English  language  has  no  exact 
synonym.  The  idea  is  that  we  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude 
to  those  from  whom  we  have  derived  existence,  and  to 
whom  we  owe  the  support,  care,  and  education  we  have 
received.  We  are  bound  to  see  that  to  the  utmost  of  our 
ability  their  wants  in  old  age  are  met. 

II.   That  among  our  God-given  responsibilities  is 

THE  DUTY  OF  LABOURING  FOR  THE  SUPPORT  OF  THE  WEAK. 
— Among  the  blessings  of  our  human  relationships  is  this  : 
that  honest  work  is  necessitated.     We  have  seen  instances 


200  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

in  wliich  a  young  fellow  who  has  spent  all  his  salary  on 
cigars,  dress,  and  amusements,  has  after  his  marriage 
buckled  to  work,  and  displayed  an  energy  and  ability 
for  which  none  had  given  him  credit  before.  Many  a 
brave  young  wife  and  self-sacrificing  mother  has  been 
ennobled  through  her  home  duties,  having  completely 
abandoned  the  foolish  and  trivial  pursuits  to  which  she 
was  once  addicted.  And  what  numberless  instances 
there  are  of  men,  whose  diligence  and  self-abnegation  are 
beyond  praise,  who  have  become  what  they  are  by  first 
feeling  the  responsibility  of  caring  and  working  for  a 
widowed  mother !  Even  till  the  hour  when  death  comes 
to  close  the  eyes  which  have  always  looked  on  you 
with  love,  you  will  surely  see  to  it  that  she  shall  lack 
nothing  which  you  can  give.  Time  is  but  short,  and 
our  fast  fleeting  opportunities  call  for  deeds  of  kind- 
ness and  for  words  of  love.  Well  has  Bishop  Heber 
said,  "  When  the  veil  of  death  has  been  drawn  between 
us  and  tlie  objects  of  our  regard,  how  quick-sighted  do 
we  become  to  their  merits,  and  how  bitterly  do  we  re- 
member words,  or  even  looks  of  unkindness,  which  may 
have  escaped  in  our  intercourse  with  them  !  How  careful 
should  such  thoughts  render  us  in  the  fulfilment  of  those 
oflSces  of  aff*ection  which  may  yet  be  in  our  power  to  per- 
form J  for  who  can  tell  how  soon  the  moment  may  arrive 
when  repentance  cannot  be  followed  by  reparation." 

III.   Paul  emphatically  declares  that  those  who  fail 

IN  THESE  EESPONSIBILITIES  HAVE  DENIED  THE  FAITH  AND 
ARE  WORSE  THAN  INFIDELS. 

Stern   as   the  words  are,  they  are  true !       Even  the 


HOME   RESPONSIBILITIES.  201 

heathen,  certainly  the  better  class  of  them,  were  wont  to 
acknowledge  filial  duties,  and  would  have  condemned 
cynical  disregard  of  parents  and  refusal  to  fulfil  natural 
duties  towards  them.  This  is  an  offence  against  humanity, 
and  therefore,  in  the  deepest  sense,  an  offence  against 
Christ.  But  a  Christian  professes  to  have  higher  motives 
in  duty  than  others.  He  declares  that  he  does  what  is 
I'ight  in  order  to  please  his  Lord  and  Master ;  he  announces 
that  he  is  a  follower  of  One  who  pleased  not  Himself; 
who  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister, 
and  even  to  give  His  life  as  a  ransom  for  many.  Foi 
him  to  fail  in  this  primal  duty  is  to  add  hypocrisy  to  the 
crime ;  and  if  he  provides  not  for  his  own  to  the  utmost 
of  his  ability — be  they  little  children  intrusted  to  his 
care,  or  weakly  brothers  and  sisters  unable  to  fend  for 
themselves,  or  aged  parents  whose  work  is  done,  and  who 
look  for  a  little  recompense  for  their  former  self-denial — 
then  he  hath  denied  the  faith  he  professes,  and  is  worse 
than  an  unbeliever. 

Let  us  never  forget  that  the  test  of  character  is  to  be 
found  in  family  relationships  rather  than  in  those  which 
are  ecclesiastical ;  and  that  it  is  in  the  home  first  and 
chiefest  of  all  that  Christ's  disciples  are  to  adorn  the 
doctrine  of  God  their  Saviour. 


(        202        ) 


III. 

CHARITY  RULED   BY   WISDOM. 
(i  Tim.  v.  3-16.) 

A  VERY  important  subject  is  dealt  witli  in  this  passage, 
namely,  the  principle  upon  which  charity  should  be 
bestowed ;  and  as  on  most  other  subjects,  so  on  this, 
the  world  and  the  Church  have  much  to  learn  from  the 
inspired  apostle. 

In  Jerusalem,  the  first  Christians,  in  an  outburst  of 
generosity,  were  indiscriminate  and  lavish  in  their  gifts  ; 
and  although  their  conduct  is  sometimes  regarded  as  an 
example  of  what  ought  always  to  be,  we  are  inclined 
to  question  that  dictum ;  to  affirm  that  such  virtual 
communism  was  nowhere  suggested  to  other  Churches, 
but  was  rather  condemned  by  the  apostles ;  and  further, 
that  the  effects  upon  the  Church  in  Jerusalem  were  not 
good,  but  bad,  one  of  these  being  the  extreme  poverty 
from  which  that  community  afterwards  suffered,  which 
continually  called  for  help,  and  received  it  through  Paul's 
collection  from  the  Churches  in  Philippi  and  Corinth,  in 
Galatia  and  Antioch. 

One  phase  of  this  gi*eat  question,  and  a  most  important 
one,  is  dealt  with  here,  namely,  the  relief  of  widows  by 


CHARITY   RULED    BY   WISDOM.  20 3 

the  charity  of  the  Church.  Probably  widowhood  was 
more  common  in  those  Eastern  Churches  than  amongst 
us,  and  this  accounts  for  the  prominence  given  to  the 
wants  of  widows  in  the  New  Testament.  The  polygamous 
practices  which  Oriental  custom  maintained  in  spite  of 
the  statutes  of  Roman  law  against  them,  would  often  cast 
a  whole  harem  on  the  charity  of  friends  at  the  death 
of  one  man.  Hardships  and  wars  would  no  doubt  be 
answerable  for  greater  mortality  among  men  than  women. 
And  besides  this,  those  who  were  desolate  and  friendless, 
as  widows  were,  would  be  among  the  most  eager  to  hear 
a  gospel  of  love,  and  sacrifice,  and  sympathy,  and  would 
be  the  most  prepared  and  likely  to  welcome  it.  For 
these,  and  for  other  reasons,  there  were  many  widows  in 
the  early  Eastern  Churches  ;  and  while  Paul  urged  strongly 
that  they  should  be  supported  wherever  possible  by  their 
own  relations,  and  not  allowed  to  become  a  burden  on 
the  community,  no  one  recognised  more  readily  than  he  did 
that  all  who  were  not  thus  supported  should  find  aid  and 
sympathy  in  the  Church.  It  is  of  these  he  is  writing 
here,  when  he  says,  "  Honour  widows  "  (the  main  idea  of 
the  word  "  honour  "  in  this  verse,  and  in  the  1 7th  verse, 
being  the  giving  of  adequate  support)  "  Honour  widows 
that  are  widows  indeed " — those,  namely,  who  are  in  a 
truly  widowed  and  forlorn  condition,  and  whose  behaviour 
is  consonant  with  their  circumstances. 

Here  and  there  the  meaning  of  the  apostle  is  a  little 
obscure  to  us,  owing  to  our  comparative  ignorance  of 
the  social  customs  of  his  day,  but  the  main  principles 
of  his  counsel  are  clear  enough,  and  are  of  the  utmost 


204  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

value.  They  may  be  briefly  expressed  in  this  sentence 
of  Southey's,  "  That  charity  is  bad  which  takes  from 
independence  its  proper  pride,  and  from  mendicity  its 
salutary  shame." 

The  first  of  these  main  principles  of  Church  charity 
is — 

I.    That   those   received   to    permanent    support 

SHOULD  BE  ONLY  SUCH  AS  ARE  AGED  OR  WEAK. In 

the  ninth  "verse  we  read,  "Let  not  a  widow  be  taken 
into  the  number  under  threescore  years  old  ; "  or  (as  tho 
R.  V.  more  correctly  has  it)  "  Let  none  be  enrolled  as  a 
widow  under  threescore  years  old,"  The  allusion  is  to 
some  list  or  register  of  widows  kept  by  the  Church ;  and 
the  only  question  is  what  list  is  referred  to?  Was  it  a 
list  of  women  who  had  been  admitted  to  some  kind 
of  official  position  and  service  ?  or  of  those  formally 
recognised  as  entitled  to  oversight  and  support  ?  As 
Paul  is  speaking  of  something  given  to  them,  and  not 
of  service  done  by  them,  we  prefer  the  latter  interpreta- 
tion, and  regard  the  whole  passage  as  a  wise  endeavour 
to  prevent  abuse  of  the  Church's  benefactions.  If 
this  community  at  Ephesus  was  going  to  follow  the 
example  of  the  Church  at  Jerusalem,  and  give  daily 
ministration  to  all  widows,  it  would  tend,  in  the 
apostle's  judgment,  to  encourage  indolence  and  extortion. 
Therefore  he  would  have  a  list  kept  and  carefully  re- 
vised of  those  who  were  to  be  permanent  beneficiaries ; 
and  although  others  not  on  the  list  might  of  course 
receive  occasional  and  even  large  relief,  only  the  deso- 
late  and    infirm    were    to    rely   on    charity    for    a    con- 


CHARITY    RULED    BY   WISDOM.  205 

stant  livelihood.  A  woman  over  sixty  in  Asia  Minor 
(though  it  would  be  otherwise  in  our  healthier,  cooler 
climate)  could  no  longer  work,  nor  do  much  for  the 
Church  either,  except  by  her  prayers  and  supplications 
(another  proof  that  officials  are  not  referred  to).  Widows 
thus  infirm  and  aged  were  to  receive  constant  and 
generous  support.  But  nothing  was  to  be  done,  even 
under  the  sacred  name  of  charity,  which  would  paralyse 
personal  exertion  or  weaken  the  sense  of  responsibility  in 
relatives  and  friends. 

Paul's  second  principle  is  this — 

II.  That  those  whose  character  is  Christian  have 

SPECIAL    CLAIMS    ON    THE    SUPPORT    OF    THE    ChURCH. He 

is  not  referring  here  to  the  relief  of  distress  which  is  the 
duty  of  every  Christian,  but  to  the  use  of  the  charitable 
funds  given  by  the  Church  for  distribution  among  her 
members. 

In  vivid  contrast  with  those  holy  women  who  deserved 
support  is  one  described  in  the  sixth  verse:  "She  who  liveth 
in  pleasure  is  dead  while  she  liveth."  The  apostle's  idea  of 
life  did  not  consist  in  what  one  had,  but  in  what  one  was, 
and  a  life  which  depended  upon  and  consisted  in  what 
belonged  to  this  world,  was  to  him  nothing  better  than  a 
living  death.  The  very  opposite  idea  is  expressed  by  the 
heathen,  Sophocles,  for  in  his  Antigone  he  says,  "  When 
a  man  abandons  pleasure  I  do  not  reckon  that  such  an 
one  lives ;  but  I  consider  him  a  living  corpse."  But 
Paul  says,  "  Live  in  pleasure,  without  care  of  the  infinite 
beyond,  and  you  are  dead  while  you  live  ! " 

How   beautiful    is   the  picture  of  the  true   Christian 


206  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

matron,  as  depicted  by  the  few  touclies  of  this  master- 
hand  in  verses  5  and  I O.      Think  of  her  motherliness,  one 
who  has  brought  up  her  children  aright ;  perhaps  not  with 
the  results  she  fondly  hoped  for,  but  with  fidelity,  earnest- 
ness, and  prayer,  which  God  will  surely  recompense.      Or 
perhaps  Paul  alludes  to  one  who,  not  having  children  of  her 
own,  has  nevertheless  the  mother-heart  for  other  people's 
children — protecting  the  endangered,  rescuing  the  lost,  and 
shedding  sunshine  over  the  pathway  of  them  all.      Very 
beautiful,  too,  are  the  thoughts  suggested  of  her  lowly,  loving 
ministry.    Entertaining  strangers,  for  the  Lord's  sake  ;  not 
necessarily  because  she  was  rich,  but  because  she  was  kind. 
Washing  the  saints'  feet,  an  Oriental  mode  of  entertain- 
ment which  had  become  very  sacred   to  Christians  since 
the  Lord's  act  of  loving  condescension  in  the  upper  room, 
when  He  said,  "  If  I  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have 
washed  your  feet,  you  ought  also  to  wash  one  another's 
feet."      In  other  words,  "  Account  nothing   unworthy  of 
you,  but  stoop  to  what  is  lowliest,  and  do  it  lovingly  as 
to    your   Lord,   diligently    following    every   good   work." 
And  the  secret  of  the  life  thus  described  is  given  in  the 
fifth  verse — such  an  one  "trusteth  in  God,  and  continueth 
in  supplications  and  prayers  night  and  day."     Happy  is 
the  man  who  has  such  a  praying  mother,  and  happy  is 
the  home  where  such  a  priestess  dwells,  lifting  up  holy 
hands!     Thank  God  for  the  quiet,  effectual  prayers  of 
Christian  women,  whose  voices  may  not  be  heard  in  the 
Church,   though  they   move  the  heart  of  Omnipotence. 
"  Pray  without  ceasing." 

III.  The  last  principle  which  should  guide  us  in  the 


CHARITY    RULED    BY    WISDOM.  207 

selection  of  those  who  may  live  on  the    charity  of  the 

Church    is    this,    THAT     THEY    SHOULD     BE    REJECTED    WHO 
WOULD  BE  MORALLY  INJURED  BY  DEPENDING  ON  IT. 

At  first  sight  the  apostle  seems  rather  hard  upon  the 
younger  women ;  although  it  is  evident  from  the  1 5th 
verse  that  he  was  not  speaking  from  theory,  but  from 
actual  and  painful  experience,  and  that  some  in  the  Church 
at  Ephesus  had  already  fallen  into  the  evils  to  which 
he  refers,  having  lost  their  first  simple  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  their  former  consecration  to  Him.  He  im- 
plies that  ecclesiastical  arrangements  had  aggravated 
their  temptations,  and  he  strongly  urges  that  younger 
widows  who  might  properly  receive  special  help  and  solace 
for  a  time,  ought  not  to  be  put  on  the  roll  of  the  Church 
for  perpetual  relief.  His  reason  is  given  plainly  enough. 
"  They  learn  to  be  idle,"  says  he,  "  wandering  about  from 
house  to  house ;  and  not  only  idle,  but  tattlers  also,  and 
busybodies,  speaking  things  which  they  ought  not." 
Surely  we  can  see  the  wisdom  of  Paul's  counsel.  Right 
as  it  was  to  support  the  aged  and  infirm,  it  would  be 
morally  injurious  to  support  by  charity  these  younger 
women.  Idleness  is  always  a  fruitful  parent  of  sins,  of 
which  gossip,  meddlesomeness,  and  unprofitable  talk 
are  not  the  greatest ;  and  the  best  preventive  of  this 
would  be  to  throw  Christian  women  as  far  as  possible  on 
their  own  resources,  to  let  them  take  a  good  opportunity 
for  settling  in  life,  to  exert  themselves  for  their  own 
maintenance,  or  to  care  for  another  household,  as  the 
brave  and  patient  servants  of  Jesus  Christ.  Any  one  who 
knows   the   pernicious   effects   produced  by  ill-regulated 


208  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

charity,  any  one  who  reflects  on  the  vices  common  to  the 
idle  classes  of  society,  any  one  who  has  noticed  the  moral 
deterioration  of  young  people  who  have  nothing  to  do 
but  to  while  away  their  time,  will  thank  God  for  these 
wise  counsels. 

Let  us  not  fail  to  take  these  lessons  home  to  our- 
selves, applying  them  faithfully  and  wisely  to  our 
differing  circumstances.  Abjure  idleness,  and  for  your 
own  sakes  throw  yourselves  with  all  your  heart  into 
some  service  for  others,  which  will  exact  your  thought 
and  occupy  your  time.  Accept  cheerfully  and  thank- 
fully your  home  duties.  Do  not  despise  them  because 
they  are  menial,  nor  cease  to  pray  over  them  because 
they  are  earthly,  but  remember  that  husband  and  wife, 
parents  and  children,  mistresses  and  servants,  may  all 
within  the  sphere  of  family  life,  glorify  God  in  their 
bodies  and  spirits,  which  are  His.  And  in  your  own 
hours  of  loneliness  and  grief,  let  your  hope  be  in  the 
living  God,  whose  heart  is  more  loving,  and  whose  help 
is  more  constant,  than  are  the  heart  and  help  of  those 
who  love  you  best.     To  Him  be  glory  and  praise  for  ever. 


(       209       ) 


IV. 

DUTIES  TOWARDS  THE  MINISTRY. 
(i  Tim.  v.  17-22.) 

The  duties  which  Timothy  owed  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Church  are  delineated  in  this  passage,  and  they  are  in- 
cumbent on  all  Christians.  True  ministers  of  the  Word 
may  not  claim  exclusive  prerogatives  as  if  they  were 
endued  with  official  sanctity  and  priestly  functions  which 
no  one  else  shares ;  but  they  ought  to  be  esteemed 
very  highly  in  love  for  their  work's  sake,  and  for  their 
Master's  sake,  if  in  any  degree  the  utterance  of  their 
Lord  is  true,  "  He  that  receiveth  you,  receiveth  Me."  The 
days  when  an  official  assumption  of  dignity  was  reverently 
recognised  among  us  have  passed  away,  probably  never  to 
return  ;  but  the  power  of  character  was  never  more  cor- 
dially recognised  than  now,  and  a  right-hearted  brotherly 
Christian  pastor  has  not  often  to  complain  of  lack  of  love 
and  esteem  among  his  people.  But  it  will  always  be 
beneficial  to  consider  fairly  these  words  of  the  great 
apostle  upon  the  subject. 

The  first  duty  he  mentions  as  owing  to  the  Christian 
ministry  is  that — 

I.    Its  faithfulness   should    be  honoured. — "  Let 


2IO  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted  worthy  of  double 
honour,"  There  seems  very  little  reason  to  doubt  that 
the  functions  of  a  presbyter  were  not  the  same  in  all 
Churches,  and  they  certainly  changed  in  the  course  of  the 
Church's  development.  The  duty  of  ruling,  that  is  of 
presiding  over  and  arranging  for  the  services  of  the 
Church,  was  naturally  assigned  to  some  of  the  more 
experienced  and  judicious  Christians  ;  but  the  gift  of 
preaching  (in  the  modern  sense  of  the  term)  to  the 
edification  of  the  people  was  not  indispensable  to  this.  A 
man  might  be  a  keen  discerner  of  character,  an  admirable 
organiser,  rich  in  knowledge  and  experience  of  Christian 
truth,  and  able  to  talk  wisely  and  lovingly  to  the  tempted 
or  to  the  anxious  without  being  a  God-given  exhorter 
or  preacher.  So  long  as  apostles  and  itinerant  evan- 
gelists were  journeying  from  place  to  place,  and  the 
special  gift  of  tongues  which  was  then  given  to  the 
Church  remained,  this  absence  of  preaching  power  on 
the  part  of  the  elders  would  be  of  comparatively  little 
importance.  But  when  peculiar  spiritual  gifts  began 
to  be  withdrawn,  and  visits  from  apostles  and  evangelists 
became  less  frequent,  and  churches  became  larger  and 
more  numerous  ;  recognised  and  regular  teaching  was 
more  requisite,  and  it  would  primarily  be  looked  for 
from  the  elders.  Hence  those  of  them  who  possessed 
the  gift  of  teaching  naturally  acquired  more  prominence 
than  the  others,  and  such  men,  in  order  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  Church,  would  often  have  to  sacrifice 
a  trade  or  profession,  and  give  their  time  wholly  to  its 
service.     This  brief  explanation  will  help  us  to  under- 


DUTIES  TOWARDS   THE   MINISTRY.  2  I  I 

Btand  Paul's  counsel,  "  Let  the  elders  that  rule  well  be 
counted  worthy  of  double  honour,  especially  them  who 
labour  in  the  Word  and  teaching," 

It  has  been  often  and  rightly  pointed  out,  that  the 
primary  reference  of  Paul  here  is  to  the  support  which 
should  be  given  by  the  Church  to  those  who  devote  to  it 
the  time  and  thought  which  would  otherwise  be  spent 
in  earning  a  livelihood  in  other  ways.  "  Honour  "  means 
"  consideration,"  in  what  is  now  the  legal  sense  of  the 
word.  But  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  explain  that  the 
words  are  not  to  be  literally  taken,  as  if  a  double 
salary  were  to  be  given  to  elders  who  undertook  the 
two  kinds  of  duty  or  who  laboured  with  special  earnest- 
ness. There  was  no  such  rigid  scale  of  giving  and 
receiving  in  the  early  Church,  nor  should  there  ever  be, 
for  it  is  one  of  those  matters  which  should  be  largely  left 
to  Christian  love  and  to  Christian  liberty.  But  no  one  can 
read  this  utterance  of  Paul's,  and  several  other  passages 
like  it,  without  seeing  that  the  objection  raised  some- 
times to  a  "  paid  ministry "  has  no  countenance  from 
him.  In  his  first  letter  to  the  Corinthians  he  frankly 
Bays,  "  Even  so  hath  the  Lord  ordained  that  they  which 
preach  the  Gospel  should  live  of  the  Gospel."  At  its  best, 
the  ministry  must  be  a  sacrifice ;  for  even  the  leaders  in 
it  would  prosper  more  in  a  worldly  sense  as  leaders  in  any 
other  profession,  while  as  for  others,  who  constitute  the 
vast  majority,  God  only  knows  the  miserable  struggle 
with  poverty,  the  constant  anxiety  to  meet  the  necessary 
expenses  of  the  home,  the  depression  which  comes  from 
physical  want,   the    life-long    self-denial    of  those    who 

IS 


212  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

are  among  the  bravest  and  best  of  God's  servants.  It 
is  true  that  loving  and  spiritual  service  can  never  be 
repaid  by  any  money  consideration,  and  it  is  also  true 
that  the  sympathy,  the  loyalty,  and  the  prayerfulness 
of  his  people  are  a  minister's  best  reward ;  but  it  is  the 
solemn  duty  of  the  Church,  which  demands  his  whole 
time  and  strength,  at  least  to  save  him  from  want, 
and,  as  far  as  possible,  from  the  anxiety  and  fret  of 
worldly  care. 

In  order  to  enforce  what  he  is  urging,  the  apostle 
now  draws  an  argument  from  the  scriptural  command, 
"  Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  that  treadeth  out 
the  corn."  The  allusion  is,  of  course,  to  the  pecu- 
liar and  clumsy  mode  of  threshing  adopted  in  the 
East.  Oxen  were  driven  hither  and  thither  over  the 
reaped  corn,  in  order  that,  by  their  feet  or  by  the 
implement  they  dragged  behind  them,  the  grain  and 
chaff  might  be  separated.  It  was  customary  among 
heathen  peoples  to  fix  a  muzzle  over  the  mouth  of  an 
ox  BO  employed,  and  even  to  fasten  a  sort  of  basket 
round  the  mouth  of  a  slave  engaged  in  grinding  corn, 
lest  in  their  hunger  they  should  eat.  But  God's  law, 
as  given  by  Moses,  distinctly  forbade  this,  as  it  did 
every  other  cruelty  and  injustice.  In  the  season  when 
the  results  of  work  were  being  rejoiced  over,  it  was 
ordained  that  slaves  and  strangers,  and  even  "  dumb 
driven  cattle,"  were  to  share  in  the  bounty  of  God. 
This  was  only  one  example  out  of  many  of  the  way 
in  which  our  Heavenly  Father  inculcated  kind  and 
considerate    behaviour   to    the   brute   creation,   and    the 


DUTIES  TOWAKDS  THE  MINISTRY.  213 

duty  was  emphasised  by  the  Lord  Jesus  and  His 
apostles. 

"  I  would  not  enter  on  my  list  of  friends 
The  man  who  wantonly  seta  foot  upon  a  worm  " — 

should  therefore  be  the  feeling  of  every  Christian ;  and 
in  ourselves  and  in  our  children  we  should  patiently  and 
prayerfully  cultivate  kindness  and  consideration  for  the 
dumb  creatures  around  us.  Now,  says  the  apostle,  if 
this  is  God's  law  for  those  who  are  our  servants,  much 
more  is  it  God's  law  for  those  who  are  our  brethren, 
especially  for  those  who  are  laying  themselves  out  for  the 
public  good  or  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  others.  If 
that  was  fitting,  how  much  more  this ! 

Then  he  turns  from  Scripture  to  a  common  proverb 
which  our  Lord  quoted  on  two  occasions,  namely,  when 
addressing  the  twelve  apostles  and  when  commissioning 
the  seventy.  The  common  sense  of  mankind  had  drawn 
a  conclusion  which  thus  received  the  stamp  of  Christ's 
approval  as  being  exactly  in  conformity  with  the  Divine 
law,  "  The  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  reward."  And 
we  ought  to  make  a  note  here  of  the  source  whence 
Paul  draws  his  illustration.  Conversant  as  he  was 
with  Judaism,  a  Pharisee  of  the  Pharisees,  familiar 
with  the  Mosaic  institutes  in  all  their  details,  he  never 
illustrates  ministerial  duties  from  the  Jewish  priests, 
but  for  purposes  of  illustration  he  freely  makes  use 
of  the  builder,  the  soldier,  the  racer,  and  here  even 
of  the  ox  and  the  common  day  labourer.  And  this 
reminds  us  that  what  is  true  of  God's  chosen  servants  is 


214  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

equally  true  of  tlie  ordinary  workman  or  of  the  ill-paid 
clerk.  There  is  unrighteousness  in  this  respect  in  ware- 
houses and  shops,  on  tram-cars  and  in  workrooms.  Too 
often  the  overstocked  labour-market  is  taken  advantage 
of  by  wealthy  men  in  a  way,  and  to  a  degree,  which  is 
cruel,  shameful,  and  sinful.  It  is  not  simply  that  the 
body  of  the  employed  is  injured,  but  the  mind  and  the  soul. 
Young  fellows  who  work  bravely  and  steadily  cannot  afford 
to  marry  and  have  a  home  of  their  own,  while  sometimes 
girls  are  known  to  sell  themselves,  body  and  soul,  for 
bread.  God  will  call  this  nation  to  a  reckoning  soon,  and 
bring  woe  here  and  hereafter  on  all  those  who  defraud 
the  hireling  and  oppress  the  widow  and  the  orphan. 
Nor  is  it  money  only,  but  it  is  time  too,  of  which  multi- 
tudes are  robbed;  and  the  long  hours  spent  in  painful 
toil  by  tired  men,  and  weakly  women,  and  growing  lads 
and  girls,  call  loudly  for  redress.  In  more  senses  than 
one  we  need  to  listen  to  the  Divine  message,  "  The 
labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire." 

It  is  time  that  we  turned  to  another  duty  owing  to  the 
ministry,  for  the  apostle  reminds  us  that — 

II.  Its  Reputation  should  be  Cherished. 

I .  We  ought  to  he  slow  to  helieve  evil.  "  Against  an 
elder  "  (here  used  in  the  official  sense  and  not  with  re- 
ference to  age)  "receive  not  an  accusation,  but  before 
two  or  three  witnesses,"  or  (as  the  Revised  Version 
has  it),  "  except  at  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses." 
The  reference  is  obviously  to  a  well-known  Mosaic  law. 
Timothy  was  not  to  be  credulous  of  evil  reports,  he  was 
to  pay  no  attention  to   mere   gossip,  and  still  less  was 


DUTIES  TOWARDS  THE  MINISTRY.  21  5 

he  to  show  any  encouragement  to  slanderers.  He  was 
not  appointed  specially  as  a  judge  ;  but  in  contentious, 
such  as  unhappily  arose  in  the  Church,  his  authority  would 
often  be  appealed  to.  Indeed,  Paul  himself  strongly  urged 
Christians  to  settle  their  differences  among  themselves,  and 
not  to  bring  their  disputes  before  heathen  tribunals ;  and 
any  one  who  knows  the  scandal  caused,  and  the  practical 
injustice  done  in  modern  days,  even  in  English  law  courts, 
through  following  the  contrary  course,  will  see  how  wise 
this  counsel  was.  Timothy,  then,  often  had  to  make  in- 
quiries which  were  delicate  and  difficult ;  and  from  haste, 
or  from  prejudice,  he  might  be  tempted  to  decide  on  defec- 
tive evidence  ;  so  he  was  urged  to  insist  on  united  and 
concurrent  testimony  before  crediting  a  charge  against 
a  Christian,  especially  against  an  elder,  whose  election  to 
office  by  the  Church  was  itself  a  weight  in  the  scale  of 
favourable  judgment.  But  how  broad  the  counsel  is,  and 
how  needed  still.  Again  and  again  noble  reputations 
have  been  ruined  by  slander,  and  the  injustice  and 
wickedness  of  the  charges  have  only  been  demonstrated 
when  it  was  too  late  to  repair  the  wrong.  Men  of  lofty 
integrity  and  of  stainless  purity  have  lived  under  a  cloud 
for  years,  because  of  some  disgraceful  slander,  greedily 
caught  up  and  propagated,  not  only  by  the  world,  but  by 
professing  Christians. 

'*  A  whisper  broke  the  air, — 
A  soft  light  tone,  and  low, 
Yet  barbed  with  shame  and  woe ; 
Now,  might  it  only  perish  there, 
Nor  further  go  ! 


2l6  EPISTLE   TO    TTMOTHY. 

"  Ah,  me  1  a  quick  and  eager  ear 

Cauglit  up  tlie  little  meaning  sound  I 

Another  voice  has  breathed  it  clear, 
And  so  it  wandered  round 

From  ear  to  lip,  from  lip  to  ear, 

Until  it  reached  a  gentle  heart, 
And  that — it  broke."* 

Be  jealous  of  the  reputation  of  your  brethren  and  sisters, 
and  not  least  of  the  fair  fame  of  those  who  speak  for 
Christ,  lest  the  Lord  Himself  be  wounded,  and  His  cause 
injured  through  them. 

But  while  we  are  to  be  slow  to  believe  evil — 
2.  We  ought  to  he  hrave  in  the  rebuke  of  evil.  No  fear 
of  man,  no  mincing  words  to  please  fastidious  ears,  no 
wish  to  smother  up  iniquity,  should  be  ours.  "  Them 
that  sin  rebuke  before  all,  that  others  also  may  fear." 
The  reference  is  not  to  Christians  who  have  been 
thoughtlessly  hurried  into  occasional  and  instantly  re- 
gretted acts  of  transgression,  but  to  those  given  to 
sinning,  known  to  be  sinners ;  and  for  such  there 
was  to  be  no  toleration.  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  know 
how  best  to  secure  the  means  of  moral  discipline.  Ex- 
posure sometimes  does  good,  and  sometimes  harm.  It  is 
one  of  those  difficulties  in  which  we  may  pray  for,  and 
expect,  the  wisdom  that  comes  from  above.  We  ought 
to  be  tender  with  those  who  (to  use  Paul's  phrase)  are 
"  overtaken  in  a  fault ;  "  and  there  are  wrongs  done  which 
are  best  settled  between  ourselves  and  the  offender  alone, 
as  Jesus  told  us.  We  should  consider  the  nature  of  the 
sin,  the  tone  of  society  in  regard  to  it,  the  necessity 
*  L.  E.  Landon. 


DUTIES    TOWARDS    THE    MINISTRY.  217 

or  otherwise  of  making  an  example  of  some  offender, 
as  when  Ananias  and  Sapphira  were  so  awfully  dealt 
with.  But  what  we  are  bound  to  see  to  is  this,  that  there 
shall  be  no  manner  of  room  for  doubt,  either  on  the  part 
of  the  world  or  of  the  Church,  that  we  Christians  "  can- 
not bear  those  that  are  evil."  And  if  there  be  any  who 
have  made  a  loud  profession  of  religion  while  they  are 
notoriously  sinners,  we  are  bound  by  fealty  to  our  Lord  to 
rebuke  such  an  one  before  all,  that  others  also  may  fear. 
Our  third  duty  towards  the  ministry  is  that — 
III.  Its  aspirants  should  be  approved. — "  Lay  hands 
suddenly  (or  hastily)  on  no  man."  The  custom  of  the 
laying  on  of  hands  dates  back  to  patriarchal  times.  Jacob 
laid  his  hands  on  Ephi-aim  and  Manasseh  when  he  blessed 
them.  It  was  an  appropriate  indication  of  the  subject  of 
prayer,  a  solemn  act  of  designation  and  of  dedication  ;  and 
in  the  apostolic  days  it  was  need  to  sanction  and  ratify  the 
elective  act  of  the  Church.  Hence,  in  the  previous  chap- 
ter, reference  is  made  to  the  gift  which  was  Timothy's 
"  through  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery." 
The  apostle's  meaning  is  this,  Timothy  was  not  to  be  rash 
in  his  appointments,  he  was  to  take  pains  to  discover  the 
godliness  of  every  man  called  to  exercise  any  kind  of 
religious  influence  over  others.  This  is  applicable  still, 
and  to  Sunday  school  teachers  as  much  as  to  pastors. 
The  Church,  by  prayer  and  by  thought,  should  see  that 
the  distribution  of  its  work  is  made  according  to  the  vary- 
ing gifts  of  each,  and  that  it  is  intrusted  to  none  whose 
lives  are  out  of  harmony  with  their  Christian  profession. 
In  such  work  we  are  not  to  be  ruled  by  caprice,  ex- 


2l8  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

eluding  one  we  dislike ;  nor  by  partiality,  appointing  oar 
personal  friends,  or  those  having  some  claims  upon  us. 
"  I  charge  thee  "  (says  Paul)  "  before  God,  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  elect  angels,  that  thou  observe 
these  things  without  prejudice,  doing  nothing  by  par- 
tiality." 

What  could  be  a  stronger  inducement  to  the  keeping 
of  these  commands  than  the  realisation  of  the  fact  that 
an  unseen  God  and  holy  angels  are  near  us,  and  that  all 
our  works,  and  even  our  purposes,  are  open  and  naked 
before  Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do !  All  sinister 
motives  are  banished  by  the  coining  of  this  light ;  all 
inferior  considerations  sink  to  nothingness  in  presence  of 
these  awful  realities  ;  all  respect  of  persons,  and  fear  of 
man,  fade  in  the  thouo-ht  that  we  are  standinof  in  the 
sight  of  God.  We  have  not  to  approve  ourselves  to  man, 
but  to  God  !  The  applause  that  follows  success,  the  hiss 
that  waits  on  failure,  are  lost  in  the  tones  of  that  voice 
which  is  as  the  sound  of  many  waters.  What  have  we 
Christians  to  fear  from  the  world  ?  what  have  we  to  gain 
from  it  ?  We  shall  all  appear  before  the  judgment-seat 
of  Christ,  and  there  some  brilliant  work  will  become  dim, 
and  some  obscure  work  will  appear  radiant  with  heavenly 
beauty.  "  Let  us  therefore  labour,  that,  whether  present 
or  absent,  we  may  be  accepted  of  Him." 

And  there  is  yet  another  word  here  for  every  Chris- 
tian, especially  for  those  who  work  for  the  Master, 
namely  this — "  Be  not  partakers  of  other  men's  sins ; 
keep  thyself  pure,"  for  the  emphasis  in  the  original  is  to 
be  laid  just  there.      It  is  easy  enough  to  see  other  people's 


DUTIES    TOWARDS    THE    MINISTRY.  219 

faults,  and  even  to  rebuke  them ;  but  beware  lest  any 
have  occasion  to  turn  on  you  and  say,  "  Physician,  heal 
thyself."  Purity  in  the  sense  of  chastity  is,  no  doubt, 
included  here,  for  an  impure  life  is  fatal  to  a  Christian 
and  ruinous  to  his  influence  for  good — nay,  even  if  such 
evil  is  only  harboured  within,  it  will  prove  the  paralysis 
of  spiritual  life.  But  Paul  refers  chiefly  to  the  blame- 
less, holy  deportment,  which  is  the  truest  witness  that 
Christ  is  dwelling  within  us,  and  which  adds  an  authority 
to  spoken  words  which  none  can  gainsay  or  resist.  If 
we  would  have  this  we  must  come  to  Christ  for  cleansing, 
because  even  those  in  heaven  had  not  stainless  robes  on 
earth,  but  they  washed  them  and  "  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  And  if  we  would  keep  un- 
spotted from  the  world,  and  walk  steadfastly  amid  the 
slanderers  and  the  scorners  bearing  the  white  flower  of  a 
blameless  life,  we  (like  John)  must  abide  near  Jesus  and 
learn  to  lean  upon  His  breast. 

This  attitude  of  soul  was  the  desire  of  Longfellow  for 
his  brother  who  was  being  set  apart  for  the  ministry, 
and  we  close  with  his  words,  praying  that  they  may 
be  fulfilled  in  each  of  us — 

"  Christ  to  the  young  man  said — *  Yet  one  thing  more ; 
If  thou  wouldst  perfect  be, 
Sell  all  thou  hast  and  give  it  to  the  poor, 
And  come  and  follow  Me  ! ' 

Within  this  temple  Clirist  again,  unseen, 

Those  sacred  words  hath  said, 
And  His  invisible  liands  to-day  have  been 

Laid  on  a  young  man's  head. 


2  20  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

And  evermore  beside  him  on  his  way 
The  unseen  Christ  shall  move, 

That  he  may  lean  upon  His  arm  and  say — 
'  Dost  Thou,  dear  Lord,  approve  ? ' 

Beside  him  at  the  marriage  feast  shall  be, 
To  make  the  scene  more  fair  ; 

Beside  him  in  tlie  dark  Gethsemane 
Of  pain  and  midnight  prayer. 

0  lioly  trust  !     0  endless  sense  of  rest  1 

Like  the  beloved  John 
To  lay  his  head  upon  the  Saviour's  breast, 

And  thus  to  journey  on  ! " 


(       221       ) 


V. 

ASCETICISM. 
(i  Tim.  v.  23.) 

This  verse  has  given  rise  to  much  controversy  between 
total  abstainers  and  their  opponents.  To  the  former  it 
seems  incredible  that  an  inspired  apostle  should,  under 
any  circumstances,  have  recommended  the  use  of  intoxi- 
cants, and  they  have  ingeniously  attempted  to  show  that 
the  wine  was  not  fermented  ;  while  their  opponents  some- 
times use  the  verse  as  a  commendation  of  the  use  of 
wine  as  a  beverage,  A  careful  examination  of  what  Paul 
really  meant  is,  therefore,  in  all  respects  desirable.  It 
is  quite  clear  that  Timothy  was  a  total  abstainer,  or  this 
advice  would  not  have  been  given ;  and  it  is  equally 
clear  that  to  recommend  wine  as  a  medicine  is  not 
identical  with  approving  its  use  habitually  as  a  beverage. 
The  apostle  was  writing  as  a  personal  friend,  and  urged 
Timothy  to  use  what  was  then  considered  to  be  the 
proper  regimen  for  such  debility  as  he  suffered  from ;  so 
that  if  modern  research  proved  that  the  medical  opinion 
of  that  day  was  mistaken,  we  could  not  convict  Paul  of 
unwisdom  in  counselling  his  friend  to  do  what  was  then 
believed  to  be  necessary  for  the  restoration  of  his  health. 


22  2  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

In  our  opinion  the  duty  of  total  abstinence  is  not  insisted 
upon  anywhere  in  Scripture  as  incumbent  upon  all  Chris- 
tians, however  sternly  drunkenness  is  denounced.  But  it 
does  not  therefore  follow  that  it  may  not  be  a  duty  now, 
in  view  of  the  appalling  ravages  made  by  strong  drink  in 
our  own  time  and  country.  As  a  means  of  personal  safety, 
and  as  an  encouragement  and  example  to  those  who  are 
in  obvious  danger,  total  abstinence  may  fairly  be  urged  ; 
but  the  argument  that  all  alcoholic  drinks  are,  under  all 
circumstances  and  for  all  persons,  so  pernicious  that  no 
Christian  can  consistently  touch  them,  seems,  in  the  light 
of  this  passage  and  of  others  like  it,  untenable.  Witliout 
further  discussing  this  great  question,  we  may  learn  much 
from  our  text  on  the  nature  and  limits  of  Christian 
asceticism. 

I.  A  Christian  is  called  upon  to  care  for  his 
PHYSICAL  HEALTH. — The  body  is  not  to  be  despised  or 
neglected.  It  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  be 
thought  of,  and  dealt  with,  reverently.  The  mortifications 
and  scourgings  of  saints  whose  glory  it  was  to  be  un- 
kempt and  unwashed  was  the  result  of  Manichgeism  rather 
than  of  Christianity  ;  and  the  gloom  and  savagery  of 
theology  at  some  periods  of  Church  history  were  the  pro- 
ducts of  this  inhuman  system.  Mens  sanis  can  only  exist 
in  corpore  sano.  Disordered  nerves  and  deranged  functions 
have  much  to  do  with  gloomy  views  of  God  and  hopeless 
views  of  men.  For  the  sake,  therefore,  of  one's  moral 
and  religious  life,  all  that  can  be  done  to  keep  the  body 
and  brain  in  healthy  condition  and  exercise,  should  be 
done  religiously.      Proper  food,  regular  meals,  sufficient 


ASUETICTSM.  223 

sleep,  and  wholesome  recreation  are  to  be  attended  to  by 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ.  Because  Timothy  was  apt 
to  forget  this  he  needed  more  than  once  the  friendly 
counsel  of  wise-hearted  Paul. 

II.  A  Christian  is  bound  to  control  animal  appe- 
tite.— Drunkenness,  for  example,  is  dealt  with  in  Scrip- 
ture not  as  a  regrettable  weakness,  or  as  a  slight  peccadillo, 
but  as  a  grievous  sin  ;  and  this  apostle,  in  his  Epistle  to 
the  Corinthians,  says,  "  Be  not  deceived,  neither  forni- 
cators .  .  .  nor  drunkards  .  .  .  shall  inherit  the  king- 
dom of  God."  In  our  text  he  does  not  say  "  use  wine 
constantly,"  but  "  use  a  little  wine  for  thy  stomach's  sake, 
and  thine  own  infirmities,"  i.e.,  as  a  medicine,  because 
you  need  it ;  not  as  a  beverage  because  you  like  it.  Well 
has  Calvin  written,  "  If  the  temperate  and  abstemious 
are  enjoined  not  to  injure  their  health  by  too  great  re- 
serve, no  slight  punishment  awaits  the  intemperate  who 
by  surfeiting  and  drunkenness  impair  their  energy.  Such 
persons  are  not  to  be  admonished,  but  rather,  as  brute 
animals,  to  be  driven  from  their  pabulum."  Sin  lies  not 
in  meats  and  drinks,  but  in  those  who  misuse  them  to 
their  own  undoing.  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but 
deliver  us  from  evil." 

"  If  thou  well  observe 
The  rule  of  not  too  much,  by  temp'rance  taught, 
In  what  thou  eat'st  and  drink'st,  seeking  from  thence 
Due  nourishment,  not  gluttonous  delight, 
Till  many  years  over  thy  head  returns  : 
So  mayst  thou  live,  till,  like  ripe  fruit,  thou  drop 
Into  thy  mother's  lap,  or  be  with  ease 
Gathered,  not  harshly  plucked,  in  death  mature." 


(       224       ) 


VI. 

RETRIBUTION  AND   REWARD. 

(i  Tim.  v.  24,  25.) 

Scripture  does  not  attempt  to  prove  the  existence  of 
a  future  life,  or  the  coming  of  a  day  of  judgment. 
These  are  assumed  throughout  as  facts  to  which  divinely- 
implanted  instinct  and  conscience  steadily  point.  If  it 
were  not  for  this  belief,  religious  men  would  be  in  doubt 
about  the  wisdom  and  justice  of  God,  so  often  does  vice 
appear  to  triumph.  External  happiness  and  misery  are  not 
in  this  life  always  the  consequences  of  virtue  and  vice 
respectively,  although  sometimes  they  are ;  and  this  Paul 
frankly  admits  in  our  text.  Its  connection  with  what 
immediately  precedes  is  difficult  to  see.  Probably  the 
counsel  in  verse  23  was  interjected  as  a  parenthesis,  and 
the  apostle  now  supplements  what  he  had  said  in  verse 
20  about  the  sins  of  men. 

I.  The  issues  of  evil  deeds. 

I .  Some  are  visible  here.  They  are  "  open  beforehand  " 
(Revised  Version  "  evident ").  There  is  no  doubt  about 
them.  Like  the  blood  of  Abel  they  cry  for  vengeance. 
"  Judgment"  both  from  God  and  man  deals  with  them,  and 
in  their  condemnation  the  Church  should  take  the  lead. 


KETRIBU7T0N    4ND    REWARD.  22  5 

Among  them  are  those  sins  which  society  regards  as 
offences  against  itself — mm*ders,  adulteries,  thefts,  and 
such-like.  But  we  should  be  wrong  if  we  imagined  that 
these  are  always  regarded  by  God  in  the  same  light  as 
they  appear  to  men.  The  vilest  sins  may  be  untouched 
by  human  law,  and  even  tolerated  by  human  opinion, 
whereas  a  convicted  criminal  may  be  at  the  same  time  a 
pardoned  sinner. 

2.  Some  are  revealed  hereafter.  "They  follow  after." 
The  men  who  commit  them  finish  their  earthly  course, 
and  leave  behind  them  a  good  reputation  ;  but  their 
sins,  unperceived  or  uncondemned  by  society,  in  silent 
procession  follow  after  into  the  invisible  world,  and  in 
the  day  of  judgment  will  stand  face  to  face  with  the 
sinner.  The  sins  may  have  been  secret,  or  so  veiled  that 
they  were  not  recognised  in  their  hideousness ;  but  the 
day  of  revelation  and  retribution  is  coming,  and  "  let  not 
that  man  think  he  shall  escape  the  righteous  judgment 
of  God." 

' '  There  is  no  strange  handwriting  on  the  wall, 
Through  all  the  niidnigTat  hum  no  threatening  call ; 
Nor  on  the  marble  floor  the  stealthy  fall 
Of  fatal  footsteps.     All  is  safe.     Thou  fool, 
The  avenging  deities  are  shod  with  wool ! " 

II.  The  issues  of  Good  Works. — The  same  principle 
is  applied  to  these  as  to  evil  deeds.  The  encouragement 
is  as  trustworthy  as  the  warning.  Every  life  has  its 
manifestation  hereafter  as  well  as  here,  where  at  best  it 
can  only  be  partial.  We  are  reminded  that  by-and-by 
there  will  be  a  manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God — "  Then 


226  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

shall  the  righteous  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom 
of  the  Father." 

1.  The  msible  harvest.  Those  who  live  and  work  for 
a  Heavenly  Master  are  not  left  without  reward,  (i.)  In 
their  own  souls  there  is  recompense — peace  and  joy,  and 
spiritual  growth.  They  are  blessed  in  blessing  others,  or 
even  in  trying  to  do  so.  (2.)  In  the  results  on  others — 
the  ignorant  taught,  the  despairing  encouraged,  the  lost 
saved.      "  He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise." 

2.  The  coming  harvest.  This  will  be  far  greater.  We 
cannot  tabulate  spiritual  results.  They  reach  far  beyond 
our  vision,  and  elude  our  analysis.  But  our  Lord  has 
taught  us  in  Matt.  xxv.  that  those  who  have  quietly 
served  Him  will  be  amazed  at  what  they  did  in  His  name, 
so  great  will  be  the  issues  of  their  work.  "  He  that  goeth 
forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless 
come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him. 
Let  us  learn  the  following  lessons  from  our  text : — 

1 .  Convicted  sinners  are  summoned  to  repentance.  Their 
condemnation  by  men  is  a  warning  of  heavier  condem- 
nation. 

2.  Secret  offenders  may  well  tremble.  The  day  of  re- 
velation is  not  far  off,  and  none  will  escape  it. 

3.  Successful  workers  for  Christ  shotdd  he  unfeignedly 
thankful.  Results  achieved  should  inspire  new  effort 
and  sacrifice. 

4.  Discouraged  servants  of  the  Heavenly  Master  may  take 
to  themselves  hope  and  courage.  "  No  toil  for  Him  shall 
be  in  vain." 


SERMONETTES  ON  SIXTH  CHAPTER. 

16 


(      ^29     > 


I. 

UNDER  THE  YOKE. 

(i  Tim.  vi.  i.) 

The  phrase  "  under  the  yoke  "  fitly  expresses  the  pitiable 
condition  of  slaves,  to  whom  Paul  here  addresses  himself. 
A  "  yoke "  is  laid  on  the  neck  of  a  creature  when  it 
has  been  taught  the  uselessness  of  resistance  to  superior 
force.  Henceforth  the  poor  animal  which  is  said  to  have 
been  "  broken  in "  must  obey  another  will  than  its 
own,  and  is  at  the  absolute  disposal  of  its  master  and 
owner,  Avho  may  use  it,  sell  it,  kill  it,  as  he  chooses.  Of 
all  the  hideous  iniquities  which  have  cried  to  Heaven  for 
redress,  slavery,  which  places  a  man  in  such  a  position  to 
his  fellow,  is  one  of  the  worst.  It  is  as  pernicious  to  the 
owner  as  it  is  to  the  slave.  Dr.  Thomson  has  well  said — 
"  It  darkens  and  depraves  the  intellect ;  it  paralyses  the 
hand  of  industry ;  it  is  the  nourisher  of  agonising  fears 
and  of  sullen  revenge ;  it  crushes  the  spirit  of  the  bold  ; 
it  is  the  tempter,  the  murderer,  and  the  tomb  of  virtue ; 
and  either  blasts  the  felicity  of  those  over  whom  it 
domineers,  or  forces  them  to  seek  for  relief  from  their 
sorrows  in  the  gratifications  and  the  mirth  and  the  mad- 
ness of  the  passing  hour."      We  need  only  turn  to  the 


2  30  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

tear-stained  annals  of  American  slavery  to  confirm  such 
statements  as  these ;  and  when  to  scenes  like  those 
depicted  in  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin "  we  add  the  awful 
destruction  of  life  of  which  Arab  traders  in  Africa  are 
guilty,  we  can  well  believe  that  the  blood  of  our  brothers 
and  sisters  has  cried  piteously  to  the  God  of  righteous- 
ness, of  love,  and  of  freedom.  Ancient  slavery  was  not 
less  dreadful  than  that  of  modern  times.  Even  Homer 
felt  constrained  to  say,  "  The  day  that  reduces  a  man  to 
slavery  takes  from  him  the  half  of  his  virtue."  It  is  as 
important  as  it  is  interesting  to  consider  how  Christianity 
dealt  with  this  terrible  wrong, — the  more  so  because  all 
was  not  done  which  we  might  have  expected. 

In  the-  days  of  our  Lord,  and  of  His  apostles,  slavery 
was  a  time-honoured  and  widely  ramified  institution.  It 
was  recognised  in  the  laws  as  well  as  in  the  usages  of 
the  empire.  So  numerous  were  those  "  under  the  yoke," 
that  Gibbon,  taking  the  empire  as  a  whole,  considers 
it  a  moderate  computation  to  set  down  the  number  of 
slaves  as  equal  to  the  number  of  freemen.  In  Palestine 
the  proportion  would  probably  be  less,  but  in  Rome  and 
other  great  cities  the  proportion  would  be  far  greater. 
There  was  scarcely  any  menial  work  undertaken  in  the 
empire  except  by  slaves,  and  much  of  the  skilled  labour 
was  done  by  servile  hands.  Christianity,  with  its  pro- 
clamation of  equality  and  brotherhood,  came  face  to  face 
with  this  gigantic  system  of  legalised  property  in  human 
fliesh,  and  we  want  to  know  how  the  Gospel  dealt  with  it. 

I.  Let  us  fikst  see  what  Christianity  did  not  do 
FOR  THE  SLAVES.— That  the  followers  of  Him  who  cared 


UNDER   THE   YOKE.  23  I 

most  for  the  poor  and  needy,  and  who  longed  to  break 
every  yoke,  pitied  these  slaves  in  their  abject  and  humi- 
liating condition,  goes  without  saying.  But  they  certainly 
did  not  urge  the  slaves  to  escape,  or  to  rebel,  nor  di;! 
they  make  it  an  absolute  necessity  to  church  membership 
that  a  slave-owner  should  set  all  his  slaves  free.  The 
Epistle  to  Philemon  is  an  unmistakeable  proof  of  this  ; 
for  though  Paul  plainly  told  that  slave-owning  Christian 
what  he  thought  good  feeling  should  dictate,  he  did  not 
give  him  an  apostolic  command.  Indeed,  throughout  the 
Epistles  hardly  an  allusion  is  made  to  the  civil  aspect  of 
slavery,  and  hardly  a  hint  is  given  of  the  desirability  of 
freedom.  We  may  be  quite  sure  that  such  a  man  as 
Paul  would  not  be  insensible  to  the  evils  of  slavery,  and 
further,  that  it  was  not  from  any  deficiency  in  moral 
courage  that  he  did  not  urge  manumission  ;  but  told  some 
slaves  to  remain  in  the  condition  in  which  they  were,  and, 
by  God's  help,  to  triumph  over  the  difficulties  and  sorrows 
peculiar  to  their  lot. 

Strange  as  this  may  seem  at  first  sight,  was  it  not 
wise  ?  Did  it  not  prove  in  the  long-run  by  far  the  best 
thing  for  the  slaves  themselves,  leading  to  a  more  com- 
plete extirpation  of  slavery  than  if  more  drastic  methods 
had  been  tried  at  first  ?  If  emancipation  of  all  slaves 
had  been  put  in  the  forefront  of  the  claims  of  Christianity, 
the  new  religion  would  at  once  have  been  placed  under 
the  ban  of  the  empire,  as  a  system  which,  under  the 
guise  of  religion,  really  aimed  at  the  overthrow  of  society, 
and  the  kindling  of  the  flames  of  servile  war ;  and  there 
would  have  been  no  hope  of  mercy  from  his  owner  for 


23  2  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

any  slave  who  had  ventured  to  find  hope  and  comfort  in 
the  fellowship  of  Christ's  Church.  The  eternal  verities 
of  our  faith  would  not  have  gained  a  hearing  amongst 
the  infuriated  people,  who  would  have  considered  that 
their  legal  interests  and  hereditary  rights  were  being 
threatened.  And  if  it  be  urged  that,  short  of  this,  the 
apostles  ought  at  least  to  have  commanded  every  slave- 
owner to  emancipate  his  slaves,  as  an  essential  to  his 
profession  of  faith,  it  may  be  answered  (judging  from  the 
experience  of  the  poor  whites  amid  a  slave  population), 
that  the  manumitted  slaves  cast  out  of  one  class  would 
have  found  no  welcome  in  another, ;  and  that  it  would 
be  for  their  good  to  remain  legally  in  bondage,  but 
practically  free,  in  the  service  of  a  believing  master. 
II.  Let  us  see,  then,  what  Christianity  did  for  the 

SLAVES. 

I.  It  taught  masters  their  responsibilities. — They  were 
not  only  to  avoid  the  lash,  but  even  to  "forbear  threaten- 
ing," and  were  always  to  do  such  things  as  were  just  and 
equal,  remembering  that  they  also  had  a  Master  in  heaven. 

And  these  lessons  are  needed  still  by  all  employers  of 
labour,  and  by  all  mistresses  of  servants,  for  although 
they  have  no  longer  the  despotic  power  of  the  masters 
to  whom  Paul  wrote,  they  have  opportunities  for  use- 
fulness which  an  angel  might  desire,  in  the  rebuke 
of  faults,  in  kindly  watchfulness  over  companionships, 
in  the  provision  of  wholesome  literature,  and  in  the 
encouragement  of  industry  and  thrift,  of  purity  and 
honesty.  A  Christian  master  in  those  early  days  was 
taught    to   treat  even   his    slaves   as    rational  beings, — 


UNDER   THE   YOKE.  233 

aj,  as  brotliers  and  sisters,  who  were  dependent  on 
his  care,  and  both  the  discipline  and  instruction  of  the 
Church  thus  ameliorated  the  condition  of  many  a  bonds- 
man. 

2.  It  inculcated  on  the  slaves  a  course  of  conduct  which 
woidd  often  lead  to  their  legal  freedom. — Under  Eoman 
law  liberty  was  held  out  as  an  encouragement  to  slaves 
to  be  honest,  industrious,  sober,  and  loyal ;  and  therefore 
any  Christian  slave  who  obeyed  the  laws  of  Christ  would 
be  on  the  high-road  to  emancipation.  Liberty  thus  won 
by  character  was  a  better  thing  than  liberty  won  by  force 
or  by  fraud ;  and  was  more  accordant  with  the  genius  of 
Christianity. 

3.  It  gave  dignity  to  those  who  had  been  despised  and 
who  had  despised  themselves. — We  cannot  wonder  that  the 
oppressed  listened  with  wondering  thankfulness  to  the 
message  of  the  Gospel.  Treated  only  as  chattels,  thinga 
to  be  bought  and  sold,  they  heard  that  within  the  limits 
of  their  lowly  sphere  they  might  be  the  witnesses  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  bearers  of  heaven's  light  into  those  dark  places 
where  cruelty  and  lust  were  brooding ;  and  they  would  go 
back  from  a  Christian  assembly  to  their  menial  toil,  feel- 
ing, "  God  is  my  Master,  and  I  will  do  my  work  for  Him 
— He  is  watching  me.  He  is  helping  me, — and  even  His 
well-beloved  Son  was  content  for  me  to  die  the  death  of 
a  slave."  The  work,  which  had  once  been  a  drudgery, 
became  a  sacred  service  ;  and  this  your  toil  and  mine 
may  surely  be. 

4.  But,  besides  all  this,  Christianity  laid  down  principles 
which  necessitated  the  ultimate   destruction  of  slavery. — 


234  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

It  taught  that  all  men  had  a  common  origin,  that  God 
liad  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  ;  and  that  men  of  every 
class  were  to  join  together  in  the  wonderful  prayer, 
"  Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven."  It  revealed  the 
infinite  condescension  and  unspeakable  love  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  gave  Himself  for  all — whose  life,  and 
words,  and  sacrifice  had  taught  the  truth  that  it  was  a 
nobler  thing  to  minister  than  to  be  ministered  unto.  It 
proclaimed  a  coming  Judgment-day,  when  secret  things 
would  be  laid  bare,  when  no  man  would  escape  because 
of  his  greatness,  nor  be  overlooked  because  of  his  mean 
condition.  No  one  could  really  believe  such  truths  as 
tliese  without  dealing  rather  as  a  brother  than  as  a  despot 
witli  those  who  served  him.  Thus  the  lot  of  the  slave.s 
was  everywhere  ameliorated,  till  it  was  safe  and  wise  to 
ring  the  death-knell  of  the  system.  And  many  a  fervent 
Christian  in  those  days  would  cheer  the  slaves  who  lis- 
tened to  him  as  she  did  of  whom  the  poet  sings — 

"  And  oft  the  blessed  time  foretells 
Wlien  all  men  shall  be  free  ; 
And  musical  as  silver  bells 
Their  falling  chains  shall  be." 

Thus,  gradually  and  wisely,  liberty  triumphed  over 
bondage.  Christianity  did  not  come  into  society  as  an 
external  force,  but  as  an  internal  life  which  worked 
silently  and  surely.  It  was  as  leaven  hidden  in  the  meal, 
which  transformed  every  particle  as  it  was  reached,  until 
by  God's  blessing  the  whole  was  leavened. 

Learn,  then,  to  trust  to  principles  rather  than  to  organi- 


UNDER   THE   YOKE.  235 

sation.  Let  life  be  more  to  you  than  law,  and  change 
of  life  more  than  change  of  law.  Care  for  character  first, 
believing  that  circumstance  will  care  for  itself.  And 
finally,  in  conflict  with  evils  deep  and  widespread  as  an- 
cient slavery,  be  patient,  and  have  unwavering  faith  in 
the  God  of  riafhteousness  and  love  ! 


(      236     ) 


II. 

CHRISTIAN  SLAVES  AND  THEIR  MASTERS. 
(i  Tim.  vi.  i,  2.) 

In  some  of  liis  Epistles  Paul  had  written  words  which 
might  have  created  a  spirit  of  insubordination  and  revolt 
among  the  Christian  slaves  ;  but  such  injunctions  as  these 
before  us  would  tend  to  avert  that  danger.  Not  only  in 
Ephesus,  but  in  Corinth,  in  Rome,  and  in  other  great  cities 
there  were  Christians  who  were  disposed  to  spurn  out- 
ward restraints  on  the  ground  of  their  spiritual  calling, 
to  disregard  the  duties  of  the  stations  they  had  to  fill, 
and  to  forget  that  it  was  not  always  right  to  claim  their 
rights.  Slaves  were  naturally  most  in  danger  of  this, 
and  therefore  earnest  exhortations  were  addressed  to 
them  more  often  than  to  their  masters.  It  was  not  that 
masters  were  less  guilty  of  wrong-doing,  nor  was  it  that 
the  apostle  was  afraid  to  rebuke  those  in  high  social 
position,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  there  would  be  very  few 
slave-owners  in  the  early  Church.  Not  many  great,  not 
many  mighty,  were  called.  God  chose  the  poor  of  this 
world  to  be  rich  in  faith.  And  none  were  more  ready 
than  were  the  slaves,  and  those  just  above  them,  to  wel- 
come a  Saviour  who  looked  lovingly  on  the  degraded  and 


CHRISTIAN    SLAVES    AND    THEIR    MASTERS.      237 

miserable,  and  who  proffered  them  salvation  from  evil  in 
time  and  in  eternity. 

Some  slaves  had  positions  of  comparative  comfort, 
others  of  abject,  hopeless  misery.  Many  masters  were 
despotic,  others  were  kindly,  and  a  few,  like  Philemon, 
were  Christian.  The  apostle  here  speaks  of  the  duties 
of  slaves,  first,  to  masters  who  were  unbelievers,  and, 
secondly,  to  those  who  were  believers. 

I.  A  Slave  who  belonged  to  a  heathen  master 
was,  nevertheless,  to  render  him  all  the  obedience  and 
honour  due  to  his  position,  because  otherwise  the  Chris- 
tian doctrine  would  be  "  blasphemed."  And  it  certainly 
would  have  been  if  a  Christian  slave  had  riiaintained  that, 
as  a  follower  of  Christ,  he  was  justified  in  disobedience, 
in  the  assertion  of  his  equality,  and  in  the  endeavour  to  win 
it  by  violence.  Even  now  it  is  too  little  remembered  by 
Christians  who  fill  the  more  obscure  spheres  that  they  are 
living  witnesses  for  Christ,  to  His  honour  or  to  His  shame. 
Some  worldly  men  will  frankly  tell  you  that,  from  their  ex- 
perience, they  would  rather  not  have  professing  Christians 
in  their  offices  or  warehouses,  because,  on  the  whole,  they 
are  less  thorough,  less  punctual,  less  obliging,  than  those 
who  make  no  such  profession.  And  who  has  not  heard 
mistresses  complain  of  servants  who  assume  airs  and 
expect  privileges  on  the  ground  that  they  are  members 
of  a  church  ?  Injury  is  thus  done  by  a  few  inconsistencies 
which  neutralise  the  faithful  service  of  the  many.  For  to 
say  that  incompetence  and  untrustworthiness  are  usual  with 
Christian  men  and  women  is  to  state  what  is  untrue.  Faith- 
ful work  is  constantly  being  done  by  those  who  have  but 


238  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

scant  encouragement  and  miserably  inadequate  remunera- 
tion, and  is  done  with  clieeriness  and  thoroughness,  because 
Christians  feel  that  in  it  they  are  serving  the  Lord  Christ. 
Keep  up  the  good  repute  of  the  Christian  name  in  any 
sphere  you  fill,  and  remember  that,  "  whatsoever  good 
thing  any  one  does,  the  same  shall  he  receive  of  the 
Lord,  whether  he  be  bond  or  free." 

The  annals  of  the  Church  do  not  contain  records  of  all 
the  brave  services  rendered  by  obscure  disciples,  but  the 
Lord  has  His  "  book  of  remembrance,"  in  which  they 
are  all  written.  Many  a  heathen  master  was  rebuked  amid 
his  career  of  profligacy  by  the  saintly  lives  of  Christian 
slaves  who  had  given  themselves  up  to  the  Lord  of  purity  ; 
and  probably  the  hearts  of  many  were  touched  through 
the  prayers  of  those  they  had  despised.  We  have  read 
of  a  negress  in  the  Southern  States  who  was  caught  pray- 
ing by  her  master,  and  cruelly  beaten  for  her  pains. 
Stripped  and  tied  fast  to  the  post,  as  the  blood-stained 
whip  ceased  for  a  moment  to  fall  on  the  quivering  flesh, 
she  was  asked  if  she  would  give  over  praying.  "  No, 
massa,  never  !  "  was  the  answer ;  "  I  will  serve  you,  but  I 
must  serve  God."  Again  the  lashes  rained  down  on  her 
bleeding  back ;  but  when  once  more  they  ceased,  the 
voice  of  the  follower  of  Jesus  was  heard  praying,  "  0 
Lord,  forgive  poor  massa,  and  bless  him."  Suddenly 
the  whip  fell  from  his  hand  ;  stricken  with  the  finger  of 
God,  he  broke  down  in  penitence.  Then  and  there  the 
prayer  was  answered, — the  godless  master  was  saved 
through  the  faithfulness  of  the  slave  he  had  despised. 
We  may  be  sure  that  more  than  one  such  convert  was 


CHRISTIAN    SLAVES    AND   THEIR    MASTERS.      239 

rejoiced   over   by   angels   centuries  ago  in  homes   where 
Paul's  message  was  heard  and  heeded. 

II.  But  the  Apostle  addresses  also  the  slave  who 
BELONGED  TO  A  BELIEVING  MAvSTER. — We  who  have  been 
brought  up  in  a  land  whose  boast  it  is  that  every  slave 
becomes  free  directly  his  foot  touches  its  shore  can 
hardly  understand  how  any  Christian  man  could  be  a 
slave-owner.     We  hold  the  belief  of  John  Milton  : — 

"  God  gave  us  only  over  beast,  fish,  fowl, 
Dominion  absolute  ;  that  right  we  hold 
By  His  donation  ;  but  man  over  man 
He  made  not  lord  ;  such  title  to  Himself 
Reserving,  human  left  from  human  free." 

But  we  must  not  overlook  the  insidious  and  powerful 
influence  of  custom,  which  makes  a  sin  so  familiar  that 
we  do  not  trouble  to  investigate  it.  We  deal  with  it  as 
a  sentinel  does  with  one  he  has  allowed  to  pass  without 
challenge; — bethinks  it  all  right,  and  lets  him  pass  again 
and  again,  until  at  last  he  is  horrified  to  find  he  has  been 
giving  admission  to  a  foe.  John  Newton,  for  example, 
after  his  conversion  (which  was  as  genuine  as  it  was 
remarkable),  carried  on  for  years  the  inhuman  traffic  of 
slavery,  and  felt  his  conscience  at  rest  so  long  as  he  did 
what  he  could  for  the  bodily  comfort  of  the  slaves.  He 
was  quite  insensible  to  the  sinfulness  of  slavery  until  it 
pleased  God  to  open  his  eyes,  which  had  been  blinded  by 
custom.  And  at  the  close  of  last  century  an  American 
gentleman  left  a  plantation  well  stocked  with  slaves  to 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  and  was 


240  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

evidently  unconscious  of  any  inconsistency.  It  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  that,  in  the  early  days  of  Christianity, 
disciples  of  Jesus  were  similarly  deceived.  Instead  of 
condemning  them,  let  us  ask  ourselves  whether  custom  is 
not  blinding  us  to  other  sins.  Are  there  no  pleasures  and 
amusements  indulged  in  by  professing  Christians  which  are 
condemned  by  the  holy  law  of  God,  but  enjoyed  without  a 
thought  of  the  evil  in  them  ?  Are  there  no  transactions 
on  'Change,  are  there  no  tricks  in  trade,  which,  though 
constantly  going  on  and  shared  in  by  members  of  the 
Church,  are  coutraiy  to  the  honesty  and  truthfulness 
which  the  Lord  demands  of  all  His  followers.  Brethren, 
let  us  judge  ourselves,  that  we  may  not  be  condemned 
with  the  world. 

We  can  understand,  then,  how  it  came  to  pass  that 
some  believing  masters  held  slaves.  How  were  they  to 
be  dealt  with  ?  Their  slaves  were  not  to  despise  them 
because  they  were  brethren,  as  if  the  declaration  of  spiri- 
tual equality  had  destroyed  civil  distinctions,  as  if  mem- 
bership in  the  same  church  warranted  a  servant  in  being- 
disobedient,  impudent,  careless,  or  self-indulgent.  On 
the  contrary,  they  were  "  the  rather  "  to  do  them  service, 
because  those  who  were  faithful  and  beloved  would  have 
the  benefit  of  such  service. 

It  is  evident  that  obedience  to  these  commands  would 
make  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  appreciated  even  in  the 
households  of  the  godless,  while  in  the  homes  of  Christian 
masters  it  would  modify  the  curse  of  slavery,  transforming 
into  silken  bonds  of  loving  loyalty  the  iron  fetters  which 
ate  into  the  flesh. 


CHRISTIAN   SLAVES    AND    THEIR    MASTERS.       24 1 

And  in  the  varied  occupations  of  life  at  tlie  present 
day  such  results  may  be  seen.  Menial  employment 
may  be  ennobled.  Duty  done  for  a  master  or  employer 
may  prove  the  service  of  God.  The  drudge  of  the  house 
may  become  loved  and  trusted  as  a  sister  in  Christ,  who, 
while  never  presuming  on  her  profession  of  religion,  is 
constantly  doing  more  than  wages  can  ever  repay,  and 
who,  as  the  servant  of  others,  is  proving  herself  to  be 
the  servant  of  Jesus  Christ  who  answers  her  prayer. 

"  Oh,  use  me,  Lord,  use  even  me. 

Just  as  Thou  wilt,  and  when  and  where, 
Until  Thy  blessed  face  I  see, 

Thy  rest.  Thy  love,  Thy  glory  share." 


(       242       ) 


III. 

A   CONTRAST  BETWEEN  TRUE  AND  FALSE 
TEACHING. 

(i  Tim.  vi.  3-5.) 

At  the  close  of  the  second  verse  Paul  urges  Timothy  not 
to  be  silent,  but  to  "  teach  and  exhort "  the  Christians  in 
Ephesus  on  the  subject  of  slavery.  Even  questions  like 
that,  which  affected  social  and  civil  life,  were  not  to  be 
left  untouched.  But  the  enunciation  of  general  principle 
was  to  be  preferred  to  the  advocacy  of  any  special  scheme 
for  social  amelioration.  A  good  rule  for  Christian 
teachers  still. 

It  is  evident  from  these  verses  that  the  apostle  had 
more  belief  that  many  have  now  in  the  interdependence 
of  sound  doctrine  and  good  character.  Belief  affects 
action,  and  action  affects  belief.  For  example,  if  a  pro- 
fessing Christian  allows  himself  to  doubt  the  efficacy  of 
prayer,  he  will  either  give  up  praying  or  will  become  a 
mere  formalist,  which  in  God's  sight  is  much  the  same 
thing ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  discontinuance  of 
prayer  will  strengthen  his  belief  that  prayer  is  useless. 
And  this  is  only  a  special  example  of  a  general  truth. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  association  of  false  doctrine  with 


TRUE    AND    FALSE   TEACHING.  243 

wrong  conduct,  and  of  sound  doctrine  with  practical  godli- 
ness, is  so  manifest  and  so  constant  in  these  epistles. 

Reference  is  made  here  to — 

I.  The  Wholesomeness  of  Christ's  Teaching. — The 
apostle  speaks  of  "  wholesome  words,"  a  translation  which 
we  prefer  to  that  given  in  the  Revised  Version  ("  sound 
words  "),  because  it  conveys  the  idea  of  imparting  health 
to  men  and  to  society.  Christ's  teaching  is  the  ozone  of 
the  moral  atmosphere. 

1.  It  concerned  itself  vjith  practical  questions. — ^The 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  (which  is  the  chief  specimen  given 
us  of  His  teaching)  proves  this  to  demonstration.  Its 
effect  was  to  create  within  His  disciples  a  distaste  for 
idle  speculations,  and  for  questions  the  discussion  of  which 
could  not  profit ;  and  in  this  it  was  diametrically  opposed 
to  the  teaching  of  the  Rabbis  and  of  most  philosophers, 
ancient  and  modern.  As  Jesus  Himself  put  it :  a  candle 
was  not  lighted  by  Him  in  order  to  be  looked  at  or 
talked  about ;  but  that  it  might  give  light  to  all  that 
were  in  the  house.  In  other  words,  the  Christian  religion 
is  to  be  used  rather  than  to  be  discussed,  and  is  meant  to 
throw  light  upon  all  the  obscurities  of  life's  pathway  until 
it  leads  up  to  the  light  of  heaven. 

2.  His  teaching  was  embodied  in  His  perfect  life. — This 
made  it  the  more  helpful  These  slaves,  for  example,  to 
whom  the  apostle  had  been  speaking,  wanted  to  know 
what  they  were  to  do  under  the  provocations  and  hardships 
of  their  lot.  And  nothing  could  help  them  more  than  the 
knowledge  of  Him  whose  gentleness  was  never  at  fault ; 
who,  when  He  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again ;   when  He 

17 


2  44  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

suffered,  He  threatened  not,  but  committed  Himself  to 
Him  that  judgeth  righteously.  And,  depend  upon  it, 
the  more  we  also  bring  thoughts  of  Christ  into  our  life, 
the  less  shall  we  have  of  uncertainty  and  of  weakness. 

3.  His  teaching  tended  to  the  increase  of  godliness. — 
"  The  doctrine  which  is  according  to  godliness,"  means 
the  teaching  which  makes  men  more  like  God — in  holi- 
ness and  righteousness  and  love. 

But  in  sharp  contrast  with  this  is  presented — 
II.  The  Unwholesomeness  of  False  Teaching,  the 
eflFects  of  which  were  visible  in  the  character  of  those  who 
accepted  and  taught  it. 

1.  Self-sufficiency  was  written  on  the  forehead  of  each 
of  them.  As  Paul  says,  "  He  is  proud,"  literally  "  carried 
away  with  conceit,"  "  knowing  nothing."  Indeed  those 
two,  ignorance  and  conceit,  are  twin  sisters,  and  you 
seldom  find  the  one  without  the  other.  The  learned  man 
speaks  so  simply  that  you  wonder  at  the  honours  he  has 
received  ;  but  the  shallow  scholar  makes  the  hearers  gape 
at  his  parade  of  incomprehensible  words.  The  truly 
great  man  seems,  when  you  meet  him,  simple  and  un- 
affected as  a  child  ;  but  bustling  self-importance  is  the 
garb  of  small  authority.  A  footman  is  generally  more 
awe-inspiring  than  his  master.  And  this  was  true  of 
pretentious  teachers  in  Paul's  days,  of  whom,  he  says, 
they  are  "  carried  away  with  conceit." 

2 .  Love  of  verbal  disputes  was  another  characteristic  of 
theirs.  The  word  translated  "  doting  "  indicates  a  dis- 
tempered and  sickly  condition,  which  turns  away  from 
the  "  wholesome  "  food  of  the  Gospel  j  just  as  a  child 


TRUE   AND    FALSE   TEACHING.  245 

with  a  poor  appetite  refuses  bread  and  butter,  and  can  only 
daintily  pick  and  choose  among  delicacies,  and  the  more 
he  has  of  them  the  worse  his  appetite  becomes. 

It  is  a  bad  sign  when  society  has  unwholesome  appe- 
tites, caring  more  for  art  than  for  truth — more  for 
manner  than  for  matter  ;  for  these  are  signs  of  decad- 
ence such  as  preceded  the  fall  of  the  Roman  empire. 
And  in  the  Church  it  is  a  very  serious  symptom  of  spiri- 
tual weakness  and  disease  to  be  eager  over  the  "  word- 
fighting  "  which  Paul  alludes  to  here,  quibbling  about 
forms  and  ceremonies,  fighting  for  or  against  modes  of 
expression,  until  pugnacity  dethrones  brotherliness.  No 
wonder  that  we  are  warned  against  discussions,  "  whereof 
come  envy,  strife,  railings,  evil-surmisings,  perverse  dis- 
putings  of  men  of  corrupt  minds." 

3.  A  carnal  appetite  was  displayed  by  these  opponents 
of  our  Lord's  wholesome  words. 

Our  translation,  "  supposing  that  gain  is  godliness,"  is 
incorrect  and  misleading.  No  one  supposes,  or  ever 
supposed,  that  worldly  gain  is  godliness,  or  leads  to  it  ; 
but  many  in  all  ages  have  been  guilty  of  what  Paul 
suggests,  namely,  of  "  using  godliness  as  a  way  of  gain." 
In  other  words,  these  men,  corrupted  as  they  were  in 
mind,  in  the  whole  inner  life,  and  "  bereft  of  the  truth," 
only  professed  the  Christian  faith  so  far  as  it  was  service- 
able to  their  worldly  interests.  •  Any  one  who  knows 
what  depraved  Jews,  like  Simon  Magus,  did,  both  before 
and  after  the  Gospel  era — working  on  the  credulity  and 
superstitions  of  the  people  to  their  own  advantage — can 
understand  what    Paul  condemned  here   and  elsewhere. 


246  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

And  in  these  days,  when  the  winnowing  fan  of  persecution 
is  no  longer  felt  on  the  floor  of  God,  separating  the  chaff 
from  the  wheat,  we  must  be  on  our  guard,  and  diligently 
examine  ourselves,  that  the  higher  life  we  profess  to  live 
may  be  animated  by  the  highest  motives.  In  order  that 
it  may  be  so  with  us,  let  us  seek  to  live  near  our  Lord, 
who  is  the  inspirer  of  all  holiness  and  the  giver  of  true 
life. 

Not  only  will  He  teach  us,  as  he  taught  Paul,  how  to 
deal  with  all  the  difficulties  and  anxieties  which  face  us 
in  social  and  religious  life ;  but  the  consciousness  of  His 
presence  will  keep  us  safe,  as  the  down  on  the  seabird's 
breast  enables  the  bird  to  shake  off  the  spray  and  keep 
itself  warm  and  dry,  though  it  floats  over  the  waters  of 
a  stormy  sea. 


(     247     ) 


IV. 

CONTENTMENT, 

(i  Tim.  vi.  6-8.) 

The  apostle  having  urged  Timothy  to  withdraw  from 
fellowship  with  those  who  wished  to  use  godliness  as  a 
means  of  getting  on  in  the  world,  goes  on  to  declare 
that  when  godliness  is  sincere — cherished  for  its  own 
sake — it  brings  its  own  reward.  He  aimed  this  vigorous 
protest  against  the  restless  discontent  and  unhealthy 
ambition  which  will  use  any  means,  even  hypocritical 
pretence  to  piety,  to  gain  its  ends.  This  is  obviously 
quite  a  different  thing  from  the  wholesome  enterprise 
wnich  naturally  brings  a  man  more  important  work, 
and  prepares  him  to  do  it.  The  motive  of  such  enterprise 
determines  whether  it  be  a  virtue  or  a  sin.  To  be 
honest  merely  because  it  seems  the  best  policy  to  be 
so,  is  not  real  honesty ;  and  the  first  strong  temptation 
which  offers  advantage  as  a  price  of  dishonesty,  will  get 
into  its  grip  the  man  who  acts  on  that  maxim.  To  do 
right  because  it  pays,  is  not  righteousness  in  the  judg- 
ment of  God.  Here,  therefore,  the  apostle  gives  us 
teaching  which  may  find  practical  application  in  the  life 
of  every  one  of  us.      In  effect  he  says  to  each — 


248  EPISTLE    TO   TIMOTHY. 

I.  Seek  the  Blessedness  of  Godly  Content- 
ment. 

I .  No  doubt  contentment  apart  from  godliness  is  a  good 
thing. —  Seneca  and  Lucretius,  and  other  Pagan  philo- 
sophers, were  never  tired  of  singing  its  praises ;  and 
Socrates,  when  he  walked  through  the  streets  of  Athens, 
and  saw  around  him  the  evidences  of  wealth,  art,  and 
culture,  exclaimed,  "  How  many  things  there  are  which  I 
can  do  without."  (i.)  To  some  this  feeling  of  contentment 
tvith  their  present  condition  seems  constitutional.  There  are 
men  and  women  who  have  an  easy-going  disposition, 
which  makes  the  best  of  everything.  They  are  not 
greatly  troubled  by  events  which  would  crush  others  who 
are  less  happily  endowed.  They  rise  and  fall  on  the 
waves  of  a  stormy  sea,  ever  buoyant,  while  their  neigh- 
bours ai'e  like  the  piles  driven  fast  into  place,  ragged  and 
torn  b}^  their  hopeless  contest  with  the  fret  and  wear  of 
the  water.  (2.)  Others  again  are  content,  not  so  much 
from  happy  temperament,  as  from  the  fact  that  the  lines 
have  fallen  itnto  them  in  pleasant  places,  and  they  have  a 
goodly  heritage.  Belonging  to  the  rich  and  leisured 
classes,  they  have  no  temptation  to  win  a  position,  or  to 
make  money,  by  unworthy  means,  for  these  are  already 
theirs  without  effort ;  and  it  is  a  happy  thing  for  England 
that  many  men  who  have  no  necessity  to  labour  spend 
their  leisui'e  and  talents  in  discharging  public  duties  on 
the  principle  of  noblesse  oblige.  Would  that  there  were 
more  of  these,  like  the  late  Lord  Shaftesbury,  "the  good 
Earl,"  as  he  was  distinctively  called,  who  all  his  life 
through  fought  against  injustice  and  ignorance. 


CONTENTMENT.  249 

"  If  Heaven's  approval  and  the  people's  praise, 
Poverty's  blessing,  and  the  joy  sublime 
Of  ministry  tliat  lifts  the  curse  of  crime, — 
If  these  avail  to  dower  our  days  with  worth, 
How  happy  was  thy  life,  who  wealth  and  birth 
Mad'st  not  a  perch  for  pleasure,  pride,  pretence, 
But  vantage  ground  for  high  beneficence  !" 


2.  It  is  not  contentment,  however,  which  is  inculcated 
here  so  much  as  '' godliness  ivith  contentment" — Many  a 
man  has  been  content  without  being  godly,  who  miglit 
have  been  saved  liad  his  content  been  disturbed  and  de- 
stroyed. "  Godliness  "  is  more  comprehensible  to  us  who 
know  God  in  Jesus  Christ,  for  in  Him  we  see  God  among 
men  living  and  labouring  in  the  circumstances  by  which 
we  are  surrounded.  To  be  godly  is  to  be  Christlike,  and 
besides  the  stainless  pui'ity,  the  changeless  love  of  that 
most  wonderful  life,  there  was  about  it  the  sweet  serenity 
which  Paul  here  inculcates,  arising  from  unfaltering  trust 
in  Divine  wisdom  and  love.  The  Son  of  Man  had  not 
where  to  lay  His  head ;  women  from  Galilee  followed 
Him,  and  ministered  unto  Him,  but  though  He  seemed 
dependent  on  their  charity  and  thoughtfulness,  yet  there 
was  no  discontent  or  murmuring.  It  is  harder  to  receive 
kindness  graciously  than  to  do  it  generously,  but  no 
feeling  of  pride  ever  led  Him  to  refuse  any  well-meant 
effort  to  please  or  to  help  Him — Almighty  Son  of  God 
though  He  was.  And  by  His  lowly  life  He  has  taught 
us  the  truth  of  His  own  words,  "  A  man's  life  consisteth 
not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things  which  he  possesseth." 
This  leads  us  to  another  lesson  enfolded  in  these  verses — ■ 


2  50  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY, 

II.  Entertain  a  Lowly  Estimate  of  Yourselves. 

"  We  brought  nothing  into  this  world."  Of  all  God's 
creatures,  the  human  child  is  most  helpless,  most  de- 
pendent upon  kindly  care  ;  and  one  of  the  lessons  taught 
by  the  coming  of  an  infant  into  the  home  is  the  lesson  of 
human  dependence.  What  have  we,  indeed,  through  life 
that  we  did  not  receive  ?  The  very  powers  which  enable 
us  to  win  position  or  wealth  are  as  much  divine  gifts  as 
the  wealth  itself.  A  successful  man  is  apt  to  say,  "  Well, 
everything  I  have  I  fairly  won.  I  am  not  indebted  to 
any  one,  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  merely  step  into 
the  possession  of  property  amassed  by  another.  What- 
ever I  have  I  made."  Yes ;  but  remember  that  it  was 
God  who  gave  thee  power  to  get  wealth.  The  strong 
physique,  which  has  borne  so  well  the  wear  and  tear 
of  life ;  the  steady  nerves,  which  in  a  crisis  do  not 
fail  you ;  the  resolute  will,  which  never  quails, — all 
these  are  a  heritage,  a  gift  from  God,  perhaps  granted 
through  a  long  line  of  ancestors,  who  have  lived  honestly, 
soberly,  and  godly  in  an  evil  world.  No  one  here  has 
reason  for  boasting  or  pride,  but  only  for  reverent  grati- 
tude to  Him  who  has  crowned  us  with  loving-kindness 
and  with  tender  mercy. 

III.  ESTLMATE  JUSTLY  THE  VaLUE  OF  EaRTHLY  ThINGS. 

However  precious  worldly  things  may  seem,  it  is  certain 
*'  we  can  carry  nothing  out  "  of  the  world  when  we  leave  it. 
It  is  a  narrow  bed  which  will  form  the  last  resting-place 
even  for  the  owner  of  a  province  or  the  ruler  of  a  nation. 
The  R.  V.  gives  us  a  more  correct,  though  more  obscure, 
reading  here — "  For  we  brought  nothing  into  this  world, 


CONTENTMENT.  2  5  I 

for  neither  can  we  carry  anything  out."  In  other  words, 
not  only  do  we  enter  and  leave  the  world  in  a  state  of 
destitution,  as  the  A.  V.  suggests,  but  "  our  entering  it  is 
ordered  with  regard  to  our  leaving  it,"  The  lesson  ex- 
emplified in  death,  when  we  must  leave  everything,  is 
exemplified  also  at  our  birth  ;  so  that  from  the  very  first  we 
are  taught  to  keep  in  view  this  great  lesson  of  the  sub- 
ordinate value  of  worldly  things.  Our  real  blessedness 
lies  not  in  what  we  have,  but  in  what  we  are.  Of  course, 
there  are  some  things  needful  for  us  while  we  dwell  in 
this  fleshly  tabernacle — the  "  food  and  raiment "  referred 
to  here ;  but,  having  these  for  ourselves  and  for  those 
entrusted  to  our  care,  we  may  be  therewith  content ; 
not  ambitious  to  die  like  one  of  those  of  whom  men  say, 
"  He  was  worth  tens  of  thousands,"  while  God  said,  "  He 
was  poor  and  miserable."  So  short  is  the  time  in  which 
we  can  use  our  present  possessions  that  we  may  well 
pray  for  grace  to  use  them  to  the  utmost  for  the  com- 
fort and  help  of  our  fellows,  and  for  the  glory  of  God. 
Sad  is  the  career  and  dai'k  is  the  destiny  of  those  who 
lay  up  treasures  for  themselves,  and  are  not  rich  towards 
God. 


(       252       ) 


V. 

COVETOUSNESS, 

(i  Tim.  vi.  9,  10.) 

"  They  that  will  be  rich,"  is  more  clearly  rendered  in 
the  R.  V.  "  they  that  desire  to  be  rich,"  i.e.,  who  wishfully 
plan  to  be  so  at  any  cost.  Every  one  knows  that  this 
purpose  is  morally  and  spiritually  fatal.  Some  of  us  are 
personally  acquainted  with  men  whose  worldly  success 
has  unquestionably  been  their  religious  ruin.  They  have 
"  fallen  into  temptation,"  to  pride,  worldliness,  and  selfish- 
ness ;  "  and  into  a  snare,"  getting  so  entangled  that  they 
seem  unable  to  escape  without  using  sinful  means.  Then 
as  riches  have  increased  they  have  fallen  into  "  many 
foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,"  indulgences,  and  pleasures,  in 
which  they  have  wasted  their  substance,  and  lost  their 
moral  fibre ;  and  these  "  drown  men  in  destruction  and 
perdition,"  as  a  bag  of  gold,  tied  round  the  swimmer's 
neck,  sinks  him  in  the  sea.  Well  may  Bengel  call  this 
tristis  gradatio ;  and  nothing  but  the  grace  of  God, 
which  brings  salvation,  can  arrest  one  who  has  started  on 
that  downward  course. 

True,  Paul  did  not  say,  as  our  translators  make  him 
say,  that  "  the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil " — 


COVETOUSNESS.  253 

that  it  is  the  one  sin  from  which  all  others  spring ;  but 
he  was  surely  right  in  declaring,  as  he  did,  that  it  is  a 
root  of  all  kinds  of  evil ;  for  envy,  hatred,  murder,  theft, 
falsehood,  and  all  sorts  of  sin  may  be  among  its  bitter 
fruits.  This  sin  of  covetousness  is  so  possible  to  us  all, 
whether  our  possessions  are  few  or  many,  that  we  ought 
to  think  of  it,  and  to  watch  and  pray  lest  we  enter  into 
temptation. 

I.  The  Dangers  of  this  Temper  of  Mind  are  obvious. 

I.  It  leads  many  to  deception  and  dishonesty. — For 
example  :  in  certain  classes  of  manufacture  it  is  notorious 
that  labels  of  quantity  or  of  quality  are  misleading ;  and 
though  it  is  said  that  this  is  understood  in  the  trade,  and 
tacitly  allowed  for  by  the  purchaser,  yet,  as  the  goods 
pass  from  hand  to  hand  in  our  complicated  civilisation, 
it  is  unquestionable  that  some  a,re  deceived,  either  in  the 
home  or  in  the  foreign  market.  In  shops,  too,  there  is 
often  a  similar  want  of  straightforward  honesty.  A  clever 
salesman  will  present  goods  in  such  order  as  to  disqualify 
the  taste  or  touch  for  sound  judgment.  Or  perhaps, 
at  his  first  sale,  he  points  out  defects  in  order  to  win 
the  confidence  of  the  customer,  and  then  abuses  the 
confidence  so  created  in  order  to  pass  off"  inferior  goods. 
And  this  wrongdoing  is  not  confined  to  tradesmen.  It 
finds  place  in  professional  life,  and  in  political  life  too, 
until  a  want  of  strict  integrity  in  those  who  represent 
you,  or  serve  you,  comes  almost  to  be  expected.  This  is 
a  sin  against  God.  It  is  destructive  of  mutual  confidence, 
of  Christian  integrity,  of  the  good  repute  of  a  nominally 
Christian  nation ;   and  it  is  the  Church's  duty  through 


254  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

its  teaching  and   through  the  lives  of  its    members,  to 
banish  it  from  all  the  spheres  of  human  activity. 

2.  To  get  advantage  to  oneself  is  a  false  aim  for  any 
Christian  life. — The  mistress,  who  has  no  care  for  her 
servants  except  to  get  as  much  work  out  of  them  as  she 
can ;  who  gives  them  no  counsel,  no  sympathy,  and  no 
care  :  the  employer,  who  has  no  consideration  for  those 
who  work  for  him,  and  no  thought  for  their  well-being — 
these,  and  all  like  them,  are  failing  of  their  duty  and 
responsibility  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  their  sin  is  the 
greater  in  proportion  to  the  weakness  of  those  dependent 
upon  them.  Think  of  young  women,  homeless,  almost 
friendless,  glad  to  escape  from  the  hot  workrooms  to  breathe 
the  night  air  of  the  streets,  and  who  have  no  other 
place  of  recreation  provided !  Think  of  men,  obliged  to 
live  near  their  work,  who,  because  landlords  have  a 
monopoly  of  accommodation,  are  forced  to  pay  exorbi- 
tant rents,  and  to  suffer  the  results  in  immorality  which 
follow  on  overcrowding.  Think  of  the  makers  of  cheap 
furniture  who  are  dependent  on  wholesale  houses,  and  are 
sometimes  forced  to  sell  at  a  nominal  price,  because  they 
must  take  that  or  starve ;  until,  squeezed  dry,  they  ai-e 
flung  out  to  ruin.  Think  of  others,  ignorant  of  their  legal 
rights,  who  are  ruthlessly  robbed  by  those  who  say  "  it  is 
fair  to  use  to  the  utmost  one's  superior  shrewdness ; " 
and  in  all  such  doings  you  will  understand  where  Paul 
would  apply  his  teaching  in  our  day.  The  curses  of  God 
deservedly  fell  on  ancient  Babylon,  and  will  surely  fall  on 
this  modern  Babylon  if,  as  the  prophet  says,  we  make 
merchandise  of  the  bodies  and   souls  of  men.     And  we 


COVETOUSNESS.  255 

Christians  are  called  upon,  while  living  among  those  who 
do  such  things,  to  obey  the  command  :  "  Be  ye  therefore 
merciful,  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is  merciful." 

If  you  know  how  insidious  these  and  other  perils  are, 
you  may  well  pray  :  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but 
deliver  us  from  evil." 

II.  Defences  against  such  Evils  are  within  our 
knowledge,  and  many  are  finding  moral  security  through 
using  them. 

I.    Watch  against  the  tendency  to  extravagant  living. — 
The   absence  of  simplicity  in   some    households  leads  to 
more   evils    than    you  think.     It    creates  a  demand   for 
articles  which  cannot  be  had  for  the  money,  and  hence 
arise  misleading  statements   and  adulterated   goods ;   for 
supply  follows  demand.      It   leads  to  those  long  credits 
which  are   answerable  for  much  of  the   unsoundness   in 
trade,  some  purchasers  hoping  to   be  able  by-and-by  to 
meet  expenses  which  they  had  no  more  right  to  incur 
than  a  shop-boy  would  have  to  borrow  from  his  employer's 
till  what  he  expects  soon  to  repay.      Be  bi^ave  enough  to 
be  simple  in  your  habits.      Seek  to  live  without  ostenta- 
tion.    Be  willing  to   give  up  the   society  of  those  mean 
acquaintances  who  think  you  their  inferior  because  you  live 
on  a  smaller  income  than  they.      Those  who  judge  you 
for  what  you  have — who  will  look  coldly  on  you  if  you 
think  it  right  to  reduce  your  expenditure — are  friends 
you  can  do  better  without.     I  would  rather  have  one  friend 
who  stood  by  me  because  of  what  he  saw  in  me,  than  have 
thousands  who  flattered  me  because  I  did  well  for  mysel£ 
2.   On  the  other  hand,  see  to  it  that  you  do  not  how  down 


256  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

to  worslii}')  the  golden  calf. — No  idolatry  is  more  prevalent 
than  this.  If  a  boy  or  girl  at  school  is  poorly  dressed 
the  child  is  soon  made  to  feel  it,  and  perhaps  will  say,  on 
returning  home  for  the  holidays,  with  brimming  eyes  in 
remembrance  of  some  bitter  taunt,  "  I  do  wish  you  were 
rich,  papa " — and  such  petty  persecution  runs  through 
life  ;  indeed,  even  the  Church  is  tainted  by  this  evil 
spirit.  Men  worship  not  the  Christ,  whose  riches  are 
those  of  love  and  truth,  whose  throne  is  the  Cross,  and 
whose  crown  is  of  thorns ;  but  they  worship  the  Herod, 
who  sits  among  them  "gorgeously  apparelled,"  and  it 
is  for  the  Church  to  rise  up  in  the  greatness  of  her 
spiritual  might  to  cast  down  the  tyrant  and  exalt  the 
Christ. 

3.  Cultivate  love  for  higher  things  than  the  world  offers. 
— Good  will  conquer  evil  by  its  own  inherent  force.  We 
need  what  Dr.  Chalmers  beautifully  called  "  the  expulsive 
power  of  a  new  affection."  Even  love  for  the  home, 
care  for  the  children  whom  you  have  to  mould  and  guide 
— though  at  the  sacrifice  of  time  which  might  be  spent  in 
money-getting — will  help  in  the  conquest  of  covetousness. 
A  love  of  study,  which  demands  the  steadfast  setting  apart 
of  some  time  for  broadening  and  deepening  your  mental 
culture,  is  not  without  effect.  The  love  of  God's  Word — 
leading  to  familiarity  with  men  mentioned  there,  who 
cared  little  for  outward  possessions,  and  inducing  fellowship 
with  Him  who,  though  He  was  rich,  for  our  sakes  became 
poor  ;  earnest  prayer  for  a  new  heart  and  a  right  spirit 
—all  these  will  foster  within  you  the  feeling  of  the  men 
who  stood  alone  among  the  crowds  on  the  plain  of  Dura, 


CO  VETO  USNESS.  257 

and  said  to  the  despot,  "  We  will  not  serve  thy  gods,  nor 
worship  the  golden  image  which  thou  hast  set  up." 

4.  Pray,  hrdhren,  for  the  spirit  of  heroism  in  common 
life. — You  will  need  it  if  you  would  keep  poor  for  Christ's 
sake,  for  truth's  sake,  for  righteousness'  sake,  believing  the 
old  proverb,  "  Better  is  a  dinner  of  herbs  where  love  is, 
than  great  revenues  without  right." 

Conclusion. — Some  of  you  have  already,  with  God's 
blessing,  made  your  way  in  the  world.  By  steady, 
earnest,  honest  work,  you  have  attained  a  position,  which 
naturally  fell  to  you,  and  was  not  directly  sought.  Now 
you  are  rich  enough  to  run  some  risk,  to  face  some  loss. 
God  has  given  you  the  honour  of  being  leaders  in  His 
army  of  I'ighteousness,  and  those  who  are  weaker  and 
poorer  than  you  are  looking  to  you  to  take  the  lead  in 
a  crusade  against  unrighteousness.  Will  you  fail  them  ? 
Remember  the  words  of  Christ — "  To  him  that  over- 
cometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even 
as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  my  Father  in 
His  throne." 

"  Set  up  Thy  standard,  Lord,  that  we, 
Who  claim  a  heavenly  birth, 
May  march  with  Thee  to  smite  the  lies  ' 
That  vex  Thy  groaning  earth. 

Yea,  come  !  then,  tried  as  in  the  fire, 

From  every  lie  set  free, 
Thy  perfect  truth  shall  dwell  in  us, 

And  we  shall  live  in  Thee." 


(     258     ) 


VI. 

THE  MAN  OF  GOD. 
(i  Tim.  vi.  ii.) 

It  would  be  interesting  to  collate  from  the  New  Testament 
all  the  titles  which  are  given  to  the  followers  of  Jesus 
Christ.  We  should  discover  that  some  were  assumed  by 
themselves,  while  others  were  given  by  their  opponents, 
either  in  derision  or  simply  by  way  of  distinction.  But 
they  all  suggest  various  phases  of  their  dignity  and  re- 
sponsibility, and  therefore  of  ours  also.  The  designation 
"  Christians,"  which  is  now  the  most  popular  and  general, 
was  bestowed  by  the  quick-witted  inhabitants  of  Antioch, 
among  whom,  at  a  very  early  period,  the  followers 
of  Christ  made  themselves  felt  as  a  distinct  power. 
We  read,  "  The  disciples  were  called  Christians  first  in 
Antioch."  The  name  was  probably  meant  as  a  joke, 
but  it  was  accepted  as  an  honour.  For  they  were 
Christ's  men — "  Christians  " — whose  highest  glory  it  was 
to  be  marked  as  Christ's  followers  and  representatives. 
Not  "  Jesuits,"  you  observe — the  followers  of  Jesus,  the 
man;  but  "Christians,"  the  followers  of  the  Christ,  who  was 
"  anointed  of  God,"   to   be   the  world's   Saviour,  Priest, 


THE    MAN    OF    GOD.  259 

and  King.  It  is  certainly  curious  that  the  title  thus 
given  from  without  has  almost  superseded  the  names 
which  were  assumed  within  the  precincts  of  the  Church. 
Of  these  latter,  "  disciples  "  was  the  earliest ;  %nd  in  the 
Gospels  this  name  is  almost  exclusively  used  to  denote 
the  ordinary  followers  of  our  Lord.  To  them  He  was 
what  He  had  appeared  to  be  to  Nicodemus,  "  a  Teacher 
come  from  God."  But  gradually  they  knew  more  of  what 
their  Lord  was,  and  recognised  more  distinctly  His  unique 
position,  until  they  were  not  satisfied  with  this  name. 
Plato  and  Socrates,  Buddha  and  Confucius,  had  their 
"  disciples,"  who  sat  at  their  feet,  and  learnt  of  them ; 
but  Jesus  Christ  was  infinitely  higher  than  they.  He 
came  to  reveal  God  not  only  in  His  words,  but  in  His 
Divine  Person,  and  they  who  were  His  were  called  upon 
not  merely  to  give  an  assent  to  His  teaching,  but  to 
believe  in  Him  as  their  Lord  and  Saviour.  To  any  one 
who  inquired  for  salvation  the  answer  of  the  Church 
was  not,  "  Believe  in  this  or  that  dogma,"  but  "  Believe 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  As 
this  became  more  clearly  recognised,  the  old  name  "  dis- 
ciple "  was  superseded  by  the  higher  name  "  Believer," 
which  is  generally  used  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 

But  soon  the  effect  of  this  belief  in  Christ  became 
more  manifest  in  lives  that  were  consecrated  and  holy, 
and  hence  in  the  Epistles  the  Christians  were  reminded 
that  they  were  "  called  to  be  saints,"  and  are  addressed 
as  "  saints,"  not  because  they  were  perfectly  holy,  but 
because  they  were  consecrated  to  the  Master.      And  with 

this  title  sprang  up  the  word  "  Brethren ; "   because,  the 

i3 


26o  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

reality  of  Christian  love  in  the  Church,  and  the  close 
relationship  which  originated  in  the  recognition  of  God's 
Fatherhood,  could  only  be  expressed  by  that  tender  and 
true  title.  These  names,  then,  "  disciples,"  "  believers," 
"  saints,"  "  brethren,"  all  present  diflFerent  phases  of  the 
Christian  life,  and  we  may  use  them  as  tests  to  our- 
selves, for  all  of  them  should  be  true  of  us.  If  we  are 
"  disciples,"  we  learn  of  Jesus.  If  we  are  "  believers,"  we 
trust  implicitly  in  Him.  If  we  are  "  saints,"  we  have 
given  ourselves  to  Him  in  joyful  self-surrender ;  and  if 
we  are  "  brethren,"  we  love  each  other  with  pure  heart 
fervently,  trying  to  bear  one  another's  burdens,  and  so 
fulfil  the  law  of  Christ. 

The  apostle  uses  here  a  different  title  from  any  of 
these — one  more  ancient,  but  in  the  New  Testament 
more  rare.  Only  in  this  verse,  and  in  2  Tim.  iii.  17, 
does  the  phrase  occur,  "  the  man  of  God."  Here  we  are 
reminded  of  the  relationship  which  characterises  such 
an  one. 

I.  His  Relations  to  God  are  suggested  by  the  title 
itself,  "  man  of  God."  This  had  formerly  been  distinc- 
tive of  a  prophet,  and  especially  of  Elijah,  the  great 
reformer,  who  so  realised  the  truth  underlying  it  that 
he  began  many  a  message  by  the  favourite  formula, "  The 
Ijord  God  of  Israel,  before  whom  I  stand."  In  Ephesus, 
Timothy  had  to  take  up  as  decided  a  stand  against  pre- 
vailing evils  as  Elijah  had  maintained  in  the  kingdom  of 
Israel ;  and  he  too  was  to  find  strength  and  wisdom 
in  the  presence  of  God,  whence  he  might  come  forth  to 
the  people  as  God's  representative  and  spokesman.      But 


THE    MAN    OF    GOD.  26 1 

the  title  ought  not  to  be  confined  to  any  official  in  tlie 
Church,  for  it  is  applied  by  Paul  himself  quite  generally 
in  his  Second  Epistle.  Any  devout  man  may  be  called 
a  "  man  of  God,"  if  he  is — 

1.  Living  near  God  and  coming  forth  to  his  duties,  as 
Moses  came  from  the  mount  of  communion,  reflectini'- 
the  light  of  heaven.  The  habit  of  prayer  is  an  essential 
of  the  Christian  life,  and  in  it  we  find  our  safeguard  and 
inspiration.  We  can  go  and  speak  to  God  about  our 
difficulties  and  perplexities,  as  the  disciples  went  to 
their  Master  when  the  crowd  was  dismissed,  saying, 
"  Lord,  declare  unto  us  this  parable."  Let  it  not  be 
spasmodic  and  fitful  fellowship  that  contents  you,  but 
seek  to  enjoy  the  familiar  walk  and  talk  of  which  the 
Gospels  give  such  happy  exemplifications. 

2.  Beprescnting  God  is  the  outcome  of  communion  with 
Him.  Reflection  of  light  can  only  result  from  the  inci- 
dence of  light.  A  mirror  shut  up  in  a  pitch-dark  cellar 
is  not  to  be  distinguished  by  the  eye  from  a  flagstone, 
but  placed  in  the  sunlight  it  may  reflect  a  whole  heaven 
of  beauty.  If  you  would  let  your  light  shine  before  men, 
you  must  put  yourself  in  true  relation  to  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness.  Those  who  are  nearest  to  God  most  truly 
represent  God.  Walk  in  the  light,  and  you  will  be 
recognised  as  the  children  of  light. 

And,  again,  no  one  would  be  called  a  "  man  of  God  " 
unless  he  was — 

3 .  Seeking  God's  ends.  It  was  because  Timothy  was  by 
profession  and  in  character  "God's  man"  that  the  apostle 
assumes  that  his  course  would  of  necessity  be  different 


262  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

from  that  of  the  worldly — that  he  would  flee  the  things 
they  loved.  If  a  man  occupies  even  a  subordinate  posi- 
tion in  a  business  house,  he  is  expected  to  care  for  its 
interests  and  engage  in  its  affairs.  Every  one  would 
discredit  the  assertion  of  one  who  said  he  represented  a 
drapery  establishment  if,  day  after  day,  he  was  engaged 
in  buying  and  selling  timber  or  coal,  and  left  all  soft 
goods  unregarded.  And  his  assertion  would  be  the 
more  incredible  if  he  was  engaged  in  some  trade  which 
was  not  only  different  from,  but  antagonistic  to,  the  one 
he  professed  to  represent.  But  this  only  puts  in  a  con- 
crete, and  almost  in  a  coarse,  form  the  idea  of  the  apostle, 
that  a  man  of  God  must  of  necessity  flee  from,  and  have 
nothing  to  do  with,  the  evils  which  God  hates. 

II.  His  Relations  to  Sin  are  those  of  unconquerable 
repugnance. 

1 .  The  nature  of  these  sins  is  exemplified  in  the  words 
uttered  just  before  by  Paul  against  the  love  of  money, 
the  hurtful  lusts  of  the  human  heart,  and  the  foolish  and 
evil  practices  to  which  these  lead. 

2.  The  means  of  escape  from  these  are  twofold.  Some- 
times we  may  meet  and  conquer  a  temptation,  and 
sometimes  we  may  more  wisely  flee  from  it.  If  a  tempta- 
tion comes  in  the  course  of  daily  duty,  fight  it ;  but  if  it 
lies  outside  that  prescribed  course,  avoid  it.  Here  the 
apostle  says  of  sins,  "  flee  "  from  them  ;  but  James  says, 
"  Resist  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee  from  you."  Our  Lord 
fought  in  the  wilderness,  and  therein  left  us  an  example ; 
but  it  was  He  who  taught  us  to  pray,  "  Lead  us  not  into 
temptation."      Concerning  many  worldly  allurements,  the 


THE   MAN    OF    GOD.  26 


o 


message  of  God's  Word,  especially  to  the  young,  is,  "  But 
thou,  0  man  of  God,  flee  these  things." 

Paul  also  deals  with — 

III.  His  Relations  to  Virtues. — Negative  precepts 
distinguished  the  old  dispensation,  but  the  new  dispensa- 
tion is  not  content  with  them.  Compare  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  with  the  giving  of  the  law  on  Sinai,  and 
you  will  see  abundant  evidence  of  this.  In  harmony 
with  the  positive  nature  of  the  better  dispensation,  the 
apostle  tells  us  not  only  to  flee  certain  evils,  but  to 
follow  after  virtues.  We  are  not  merely  to  turn  our 
backs  on  old  pleasures,  but  we  are  to  find  new  ones ;  we 
are  to  conquer  the  habit  of  living  for  self,  by  learning  to 
live  for  others,  for  Christ's  sake  ;  and  we  shall  flee  the 
more  rapidly  from  what  God  hates  if  we  are  eagerly 
following  after  what  He  loves.  The  virtues  mentioned 
here  are  arranged  in  pairs. 

1.  Righteousness  and  godliness  include  all  conduct 
towards  God :  obedience  to  His  law,  trust  and  reverence, 
devoutness  and  prayer. 

2.  Faith  and  love  are  the  two  essentials  to  such  a  life, 
for  righteousness  is  the  offspring  of  faith,  and  godliness 
is  the  offspring  of  love. 

3.  Patience  and  meekness  have  regard  to  our  dealings 
with  our  fellow-men,  especially  with  those  who  persecute 
or  wrong  us,  and  they  are  among  the  most  diflScult  graces 
to  exhibit.  Perhaps  their  emphatic  position  in  this  text 
is  given  to  them  because  of  this — the  more  so  as  there  was 
such  novelty  in  this  Christian  ideal,  that  what  had  seemed 
to  be  defects  to  heathen  moralists  were  elevated  by  Chris- 


264  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

tianity  in  the  most  startling  way  into  rare  graces. 
"  Patience"  with  those  who  misunderstand  or  malign  us, 
and  "  meekness  "  in  bearing  affronts  and  enduring  wrongs, 
we  all  have  opportunities  for  exercising  in  business,  in 
the  home,  and  in  other  relationships  of  life.  The  fretful 
invalid,  the  exacting  mistress,  the  disagreeable  school- 
fellow, the  irritating  brother  or  sister,  the  thoughtless 
customer,  or  the  unreasonable  client, — all  these  call  for 
the  exercise  of  the  self-control  and  forgiveness  which  are 
here  commended,  and  which  we  learn  best  on  our  knees 
in  sight  of  the  cross  of  Calvary. 

"  Let  me  not  fret  because  of  evil  men  ; 

Snidoth  Thou  each  angry  ripple  of  my  soul ; 
Reviled,  oli  let  me  not  revile  aLjain, 

And  ever  let  Thy  hand  my  rising  warmth  controL 

Let  not  my  peace  be  broken  when  the  wrong 
Conquers  the  right,  but  let  me  still  wait  on  ; 

The  day  of  right  is  coming,  late,  but  long, 

Long  right  beneath  the  sway  of  the  all-righteons  One. 

When  love  no  refuge  finds  but  silent  faith, 

When  meekness  fain  would  hide  its  heavy  liead, 

Wlien  trustful  truth,  shunning  the  words  of  wrath, 
Waits  for  the  day  of  right,  so  long,  so  long  delayed  ; 

Beneath  the  load  of  crosses  and  of  cares, 

Of  thwarted  plans,  of  rude  and  spiteful  words ; 

Oh  bear  me  up,  when  tliis  weak  flesh  despairs. 

And  the  one  arm  which  faith  can  lean  on  is  the  Lord's." 


(     265     ) 


YII. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  CONTEST, 
(i  Tim.  vi.  12.) 

Theee  is  some  reason  to  suppose  that  Timothy  was  not 
naturally  brave  and  adventurous — that  it  would  be  more 
difficult  for  him  than  for  many  to  take  up  a  bold,  uncom- 
promising stand  against  prevailing  evils.  His  companion- 
ship with  heroic  Paul  would  greatly  tend  to  develop  what 
was  thus  lacking  in  him.  In  some  respects  their  rela- 
tion is  parallel  to  that  which  afterwards  existed  between 
Luther,  the  uncompromising  reformer,  and  Melancthon, 
the  sensitive,  scholarly  divine.  Love  is  often  more  readily 
excited  by  seeing  in  another  graces  which  are  coveted, 
but  not  possessed,  than  by  the  discovery  of  similarity 
of  tastes,  and  this  may  account  partly  for  Timothy's 
passionate  loyalty  to  Paul,  in  whom  he  recognised  the 
soldierly  qualities  which  were  not  innate  to  himself. 
It  is  highly  probable  that  Timothy,  then  an  enthusi- 
astic youth,  was  an  eye-witness  of  the  brutal  treatment 
to  which  the  great  apostle  was  exposed  in  Lystra 
(Timothy's  native  town)  when  he  was  stoned  and  cast 
out  like  a  dog,  as  one  believed  to  be  dead.  Exhortations 
to  bravery  from  such  a  man   as  that  would   come  with 


266  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

redoubled  force.  Nor  were  they  without  effect.  A 
credible  legend  informs  us  that  Timothy  sealed  his  testi- 
mony with  his  blood  during  the  celebration  of  the  great 
festival  of  Artemis.  This  goddess  whose  worship  had  its 
centre  in  Ephesus,  where  Timothy  faithfully  laboured, 
must  be  distinguished  from  the  well-known  Artemis  of 
the  Greeks,  the  sister  of  Apollo — the  goddess  of  the 
chase — the  maiden  divinity  who  was  never  conquered 
by  love.  The  Ephesian  Artemis  was  an  ancient  Asiatic 
divinity,  to  whom  the  Greeks  gave  that  name ;  but  she 
was  a  personification  of  the  fructifying  and  all-nourish- 
ing power  of  nature.  Her  emblem  was  the  moon,  and 
her  worship  was  almost  as  gross  and  licentious  as  that  of 
the  Roman  Venus.  It  was  the  followers  of  this  goddess 
who  sought  to  kill  Paul,  when  they  crowded  into  the 
theatre  and  for  the  space  of  three  hours  cried,  "  Great  is 
Diana  of  the  Ephesians  ! "  When  her  splendid  festival 
was  being  held,  and  Timothy,  as  leader  of  the  Christians, 
publicly  protested  against  the  scenes  of  license  and  frenzy, 
the  infuriated  mob  turned  upon  him  and  beat  him  to 
death  with  their  clubs.  He  knew  what  it  was  to  "  fight 
the  good  fight  of  faith,  and  lay  hold  on  eternal  life."  This 
exhortation  reminds  us — 

I.  That  the  Christian  Life  is  a  Contest. — The  word 
used  by  Paul  refers  to  the  contests  in  the  arena  rather 
than  to  those  on  the  battlefield  ;  but  either  figure  would 
very  fitly  represent  the  struggle  which  the  new  life  must 
wage  with  evils  around  and  sins  within.  It  is  a  "  good  " 
contest,  because  its  motive  is  far  higher  than  that  which 
prompted  the  carnal   and    ambitious    wrestlings    in    the 


THE   CHRISTIAN   CONTEST.  267 

ancient  games.  It  is  better  to  conquer  yourself  than  to 
conquer  some  one  else  ;  and  it  is  infinitely  nobler  to  find 
your  reward  in  Christly  character  than  in  fading  crowns. 
In  order  to  gain  the  prize  set  before  us  struggle  is  essential, 
and  if  within  you  there  has  been  no  conflict  in  which 
conscience  has  conquered  passion,  or  in  which  God's  will 
has  triumphed  over  yours,  the  real  life  has  yet  to  begin 
within,  and  except  a  man  be  born  again,  "  he  cannot  see 
the  kingdom  of  God." 

We  are  also  reminded  here — 

II.  That  the  Christian  Life  begins  with  a  Call. — 
Paul  is  not  referring  to  an  office  which  Timothy  had 
been  called  to  fill  by  the  Church,  or  by  the  apostle,  but 
as  the  context  shows  to  his  life  as  a  "  man  of  God," 
as  an  avowed  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ.  Speaking  of  his 
spiritual  contest,  he  says,  "  Whereunto  thou  art  also 
called ; "  and  this  could  only  mean  called  by  the  voice 
of  God.  There  is  no  doubt  that  some  of  the  meta- 
physical discussions  which  have  been  carried  on  by  theo- 
logians on  the  subject  of  "  a  Divine  call  "  have  done 
enormous  harm  ;  but  the  Divine  call  as  a  practical  reli- 
gious experience  is  the  sublimest  and  mightiest  motive 
of  which  the  human  heart  is  capable.  It  is  the  begin- 
ning of  spiritual  life  ;  it  wakes  up  the  soul  to  conscious- 
ness, as  the  archangel's  trump  will  hereafter  wake  the 
realms  of  death.  The  history  of  the  Church  shows  that 
nothing  will  do  so  much  to  nerve  a  man  to  hei-oic  endur- 
ance as  the  deep  persuasion  that  he  has  a  Divine  call. 
If,  for  example,  you  know  that  God  has  called  you  from 
sin,  you  dare  not  go  back  to  it ;  if  you  are  certain  God 


2  68  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

gave  you  your  work,  you  will  do  it  without  waiting  for 
reward,  and  without  being  discouraged  by  failure  ;  and 
it  is  because  His  voice  is  calling  that  it  is  at  your  peril 
you  stop  your  ears  or  harden  your  heart.  But  follow- 
ing on  this  is  the  fact — 

III.  That  the  Christian  Life  demands  Confession. — 
When  Paul  reminds  Timothy  that  he  had  "  professed  a 
good  profession  before  many  witnesses,"  he  is  alluding  to 
his  open  and  formal  confession  of  the  Christian  faith.  In 
those  days  there  was  a  very  broad  line  to  be  crossed 
before  entering  the  Church  ;  for  the  convert  left  his 
former  faith,  his  former  associates,  and  his  former  prac- 
tices ;  and  these  were  publicly  abjured.  Changed  as 
the  condition  of  society  unquestionably  is,  there  is  a 
difference  between  the  Church  and  the  world  ;  and  there 
must  be  until  the  world  is  really  Christ's,  which  it  is 
far  from  being  yet.  And  in  some  form  or  other,  there 
ought  to  be  a  profession  of  faith  on  the  part  of  those  who 
really  love  and  serve  Christ  Jesus.  If,  therefore,  you  are 
on  His  side,  but  secretly,  or  if  you  have  allowed  your 
former  profession  to  die  out,  carefully  consider  this 
question,  lest  at  last  you  come  under  the  condemnation  of 
those  who  are  ashamed  of  Christ  amid  their  daily  asso- 
ciations ;  for  Jesus  says,  "  He  that  is  not  with  me,  is 
against  me."  To  ask  yourself  why  you  are  not  an  avowed 
Christian  will  lead  to  self-examination  such  as  many 
perish  for  want  of;  for  the  answer  to  that  question  may 
be,  "  It  is  because  I  am  not  a  Christian  at  all ;  "  and  that 
will  bring  you,  with  God's  blessing,  to  instant  penitence 
and  earnest  prayer ;  or  the  answer  may  reveal  a  moral 


THE    CHRISTIAN    CONTEST.  269 

weakness  and  cowardice  of  which  you  have  had  no  sus- 
picion, and  of  which  you  may  be  well  ashamed. 

But  not  only  is  confession  of  Christ  helpful  because  of 
the  self-examination  which  precedes  it,  but  also  because 
it  is  a  something  to  which  appeal  may  afterwards  be 
made  with  spiritual  effect,  as  it  is  here.  The  act  of 
publicly  avowing  love  to  Christ  is  an  epoch  in  our 
spiritual  history ;  a  season  of  Divine  inspiration,  when  we 
are  lifted  above  the  ordinary  low  level  on  which  we  live, 
and  when  we  realise  the  blessedness  and  the  responsibility 
of  taking  our  stand  on  the  Lord's  side.  Well  would  it 
have  been  with  all  of  us  if  the  standard  then  raised  aloft 
had  never  been  lowered  in  the  presence  of  the  foe  !  There 
is  much  to  inspire  some  of  us  in  the  memories  of  the  past, 
and  much  to  inspire  us  all  in  the  thought  of  what  lies 
before  us ;   for  Paul  reminds  us — 

IV.  That  the  Christian  Life  receives  its  Crown. — 
Even  here  it  is  possible  to  "  lay  hold  upon  eternal  life," 
which  is  the  gift  of  God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  His  Son. 
The  apostle  does  not  speak  of  it  as  the  result  of  the 
contest,  but  as  the  substance  of  it,  for  we  may  have  it 
here  in  its  germ.  "  He  that  believeth  on  me,"  says  our 
Lord,  "  shall  never  die."  The  death  which  many  dread 
is  but  the  putting  off  of  the  tabernacle  in  order  that  the 
heavenly  temple  may  be  entered.  If  the  life  we  now  live 
in  the  flesh  is  a  life  of  faith  on  the  Son  of  God,  we 
already  possess  the  eternal  life  whose  enfranchisement 
from  the  body  will  be  Heaven  !  "  He  that  hath  the  Son 
hath  life  ;  but  he  that  hath  not  the  Son  hath  not  life, 
but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  Him." 


(        270       ) 


VIIT. 

THE  FIGHT  OF  FAITH. 
(i  Tim.  vi.  12.) 

There  is  no  donbt  that  our  Revised  Version  correctly 
renders  Paul's  phrase  when  it  introduces  the  definite 
article  in  the  first  clause  of  this  verse,  "  Fight  the  good 
fight  of  the  faith."  In  other  words,  Paul  says,  "  Keep 
up  the  struggle  which  faith  in  Christ  necessitates,  against 
all  temptation,  in  spite  of  all  opponents."  But  we  must 
not  forget  that  faith  is  the  very  essence  of  this  con- 
flict, and  that  its  vigour  is  essential  to  victory.  This 
may  be  well  called  a  "  good  fight,"  to  which  our  Lord 
summons  us,  for  it  aims  at  the  destruction  of  sin,  which 
is  the  ultimate  source  of  all  our  sorrows  and  fears.  It 
results,  not  as  human  wars  do  in  the  impoverishment  of 
the  people  and  in  the  entry  of  cruel  death  and  mourning 
into  innocent  homes,  but  in  the  elevation  of  the  nations 
and  in  the  eternal  life  of  all  who  submit  to  the  Conqueror. 
There  is  no  uncertainty  about  the  issue ;  all  who  follow 
Christ  may  feel  the  inspiration  which  comes  to  soldiers 
who  know  that  their  standard  has  never  been  trailed  in 
the  dust  of  defeat.      Christ  Jesus  goes  forth  "  conquering 


THE    FIGHT    OF    FAITH.  27 1 

and  to  conquer."      But  we  need  faith   in   Him  to   wage 
that  warfare. 

I.  Faith  Discovers  our  Foes. — We  do  not  see  them 
by  mortal  sense  or  by  intellectual  ability.  Pleasures  may 
be  enervating  us,  prosperity  may  be  injuring  us,  without 
any  consciousness  on  our  part  that  it  is  so ;  while  we  still 
welcome  them  with  the  fatuousness  of  a  commander  who 
flings  open  the  gates  of  the  citadel  to  what  he  believes 
to  be  a  column  of  relief,  but  who  finds  out,  when  it  is 
too  late,  that  he  has  given  himself  into  the  power  of  the 
adversary.  Whatever  drags  down  your  aspirations  after 
holiness,  and  chains  you  to  the  present  life,  will  appear 
to  faith  (which  is  spiritual  sight)  an  enemy  to  be 
reckoned  with.  You  want  a  higher  standpoint  than 
that  of  human  opinion  in  order  to  see  what  God  sees, 
and  to  know  how  and  when  you  must  strike.  And  many 
a  one  has  found  the  mount  of  prayer  to  be,  what  the 
famous  knoll  was  to  Lord  Raglan  when  he  galloped  to 
its  summit  in  the  crisis  of  the  battle  of  the  Alma — a 
vantage-ground  whence  to  see  the  foes  we  have  to  fight. 

II.  Faith  Arms  us  for  the  Conflict. — In  moral 
contests  nothing  will  take  the  place  of  faith,  by  which 
we  realise  habitually  the  presence  of  God.  Good  impulse 
sometimes  helps  us ;  tender  memories  are  not  without 
effect ;  wholesome  friendships,  cherished  reputations,  have 
their  place  and  power;  but  the  one  thing  which  will 
keep  a  man  safe  in  every  hour  of  real  temptation  is  the 
conviction  that  He  is  near  of  whom  Joseph  said,  "  How 
can  I  do  this  great  wickedness  and  sin  against  God  ?  " 

III.  Faith  Wins  the  Victory. — When  our  great  Leader 


2/2  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

was  in  the  wilderness,  tempted  of  the  devil,  He  triumphed, 
not  by  any  assertion  of  His  Divine  power,  but  by  His 
unfaltering  confidence  in  God.  "  Make  these  stones  into 
bread,  for  this  is  essential  to  your  support,"  suggested 
the  adversary.  "  No,"  said  our  Master  ;  "  for  my  Father 
has  said,  '  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone.'  "  "  Take 
the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  for  they  are  thine."  "No; 
God's  way  of  giving  them  to  me  is  the  best."  "  Cast  Thy- 
self down  from  this  Temple,  and  angel-given  deliverance 
will  strengthen  your  faith."  "  No  ;  I  will  trust,  but  I 
will  not  presume."  It  was  the  shield  of  faith  which 
quenched  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked  one  ;  and  what 
was  true  for  our  Lord  is  true  for  all  His  followers.  Let 
your  prayer  always  be,  "  Lord,  increase  our  faith,"  remem- 
bering that,  whether  for  defence  or  for  aggression,  faith 
is  the  one  thing  needful.  Cast  yourself  in  trust  upon 
Him,  and  He  will  not  only  forgive  your  sins,  but  in 
His  good  time  will  give  you  full  deliverance  and  eternal 
victory. 

"  God  never  yet  forsook  at  need 
The  soul  that  trusted  Him  indeed." 


(     273 


IX. 

MOTIVES  TO  STEADFASTNESS. 
(i  Tim.  vi.  13-16.) 

When  earnest  Christians  realise  that  they  are  about  to 
leave  the  world,  they  are  concerned  that  those  who  will 
fill  their  places  should  be  loyal  to  the  principles  they 
have  tried  to  maintain.  Nothing  would  cause  more  grief 
to  a  devout  pastor  than  the  foreboding  that  his  work 
would  be  undone  by  his  successor  ;  and  a  Christian  father 
would  go  down  weeping  to  the  grave  if  he  knew  that  his 
own  son  would  fling  to  the  winds  all  which  he  had  held 
dear.  Paul  felt  as  a  pastor  and  as  a  father  towards 
Timothy,  and  this  accounts  for  the  repeated  and  pathetic 
exhortations  to  fidelity  which  occur  in  these  two  letters. 

The  "  commandment "  which  the  young  evangelist  was 
to  keep  must  be  taken,  in  its  broadest  sense,  as  referring 
to  the  great  principles  of  righteousness  and  truth  which 
Christ  Jesus  had  embodied  and  maintained.  Although 
of  celestial  origin,  this  commandment  would  not  appear 
to  men  "  without  spot,"  if  its  representatives  were  men 
of  blemished  reputation.  Hence  Paul  adjures  Timothy 
thus  :  "  I  give  thee  charge  that  thou  keep  this  command- 
ment without  spot,  unrebukeable,  until  the  appearing  of 


274  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

our  Lord  Jesus  Christ " — that  glorious  epiphany  which  to 
the  eager  expectation  of  the  early  Christians  seemed  ever 
close  at  hand. 

Two  motives  to  such  steadfastness  are  suggested  in  the 
verses  before  us  :  the  one  being  drawn  from  the  example 
of  Christ,  the  other  from  the  greatness  of  God.  Glance 
at  each  in  its  order. 

I.  The  Example  of  Christ  is  suggested  in  the  allusion 
made  to — 

I .  His  good  confession  hefore  Pontius  Pilate.  It  is  well 
for  us  when  we  either  suffer,  or  compel,  all  the  incidents 
of  life  to  lead  our  thoughts  back  to  Christ.  It  was 
partly  in  order  to  make  this  possible  that  the  details  of 
His  life  and  ministry  are  so  fully  given  in  the  Gospels. 
Temptations,  troubles,  friendships,  joys,  conflicts,  all  that 
go  to  make  up  our  experience,  find  counterparts  in  Him, 
who  in  all  points  was  made  like  unto  His  brethren,  though 
He  was  without  sin.  How  it  would  help  this  young 
evangelist,  for  example,  when  he  was  laughed  at  for  his 
strictness,  or  when  he  was  blamed  for  his  inexorable 
adherence  to  the  truth  of  Christ,  to  remember  that  even  He 
who  was  the  Eternal  Son  of  God  endured  the  contradiction 
of  sinners  against  Himself,  and  that  without  a  moment's 
hesitation  He  witnessed  a  good  confession,  though  He 
knew  the  price  of  it  would  be  agony,  shame,  and  death  ! 
There  was  a  difference,  however,  between  the  Lord's  con- 
fession and  Timothy's,  or  ours.  This  is  denoted  by  a 
change  of  verb  made  by  Paul,  which  is  not  noticed  at  all 
in  our  Authorised  Version  ;  and  in  the  Revised  Version 
the  distinction  is  hardly  marked,  because  the  two  words 


MOTIVES    TO    STEADFASTNESS.  275 

"  confess  "  and  "  witness  "  employed  by  the  Revisers  are 
loosely  used  in  English.  Timothy  "  confessed "  the 
good  confession,  Christ  Jesus  "  witnessed  "  the  good  con- 
fession. Bengel,  in  clearer  Latin,  puts  it  thus :  "  Testari 
confessionem  erat  Domini,  confiteri  confessionem  Timothei  " 
— "  To  witness  a  confession  is  the  Lord's,  to  confess  it  is 
Timothy's."  Christ  "  witnessed  "  because  He  was  identified 
with  the  truth  He  confessed,  and  was  the  source  of  every 
such  confession  after,  Timothy  "  confessed,"  for  his  confes- 
sion was  responsive  and  secondary,  and  found  its  inspira- 
tion in  that  of  his  Lord. 

2.  Christ's  achieved  victory  is  another  source  of  encour- 
agement to  His  faithful  followers.  The  Cross  of  Calvary 
was  the  immediate  result  of  our  Lord's  good  confession ; 
but  that  was  not  its  final  result.  Unseen  as  yet  by 
mortal  eye,  His  manifestation  is  coming  ever  nearer  to 
the  world  ;  and  meanwhile  it  is  seen  and  rejoiced  in  by 
one  after  another  of  the  saints  who  pass  away  into  the 
world  of  spirits.  God,  who  quickeneth  all  things,  has 
raised  Him  from  the  dead,  and  amongst  the  glorified 
and  redeemed  He  already  appears  as  Prince  and  Saviour ; 
and  hereafter  every  eye  shall  see  Him,  and  they  also  which 
pierced  Him.  The  victory  of  Christ  is  the  encouragement 
and  inspiration  of  all  who  are  engaged  in  the  conflicts  of 
truth  with  error,  of  holiness  with  sin. 

Notice  how  this  description  of  the  expected  appearing 

of  Christ  leads  to  the  noble  doxology  which  celebrates — 

II.  The  Gkeatness  and  Glory  of  God,  "  who  is  the 

blessed  and  only  Potentate,  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord 

of  lords;    who   only  hath  immortality,  dwelling  in  the 

19 


276  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

lii^^lit  which  no  man  can  approach  unto ;  whom  no  man 
hath  seen,  nor  can  see  ;  to  whom  be  honour  and  power 
everlastinof.  Amen."  If  He  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against 
us  ?  Whether  or  no  this  sublime  doxology,  couched  as 
it  is  in  lyrical  form,  was  already  in  use  in  the  psalmody 
of  the  Ephesian  Church,  as  some  suggest  that  it  was,  we 
cannot  tell ;  but  that  it  would  fitly  express  the  feelings 
of  devout  hearts  then  and  now  is  unquestionable.  Nor 
is  it  simply  to  be  admired  for  its  beauty.  It  had  special 
force  in  the  connection  before  us.  Timothy  is  fittingly 
reminded  that — 

1.  God  is  eternal.  All  time  is  at  His  disposal.  The 
delay  which  seems  long  and  weary  to  us  is  nothing  to 
Him ;  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  awful  eternity 
which  lies  before  Him.      As  Mrs.  Browning  sings — 

"  Eternity  stands  always  fronting  God  ; 
A  stern  colossal  image,  with  blind  eyes, 
And  grand  dim  lips,  that  murmur  evermore, 
'  God— God— God  ! '" 

"  He  only  hath  immortality,"  and  all  others  have  it  as 
His  gift.  The  gift  of  God  to  men  is  eternal  life,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

2.  God  is  the  hlessed  and  only  Potentate.  If  you  sub- 
stitute for  "  blessed "  its  synonym  in  modern  English, 
you  get  the  beautiful  truth,  that  ours  is  a  "  happy  "  God, 
— full  of  joy  in  Himself,  the  source  of  joy  to  all  His 
creatures.  He  is  a  Father  who  has  a  smile  on  His  face, 
and  a  heart  welling  over  with  love  and  kiudness  ;  He  is 
One  to  whom  the  youngest  and  the  most  feeble  may 
come  with  certainty  of  welcome. 


MOTIVES    TO    STEADFASTNESS.  277 

3.  "  God  quickencfh  all  things."  He  can  so  quicken 
us  that  out  of  sadness  and  difficulties  and  torpor  He 
can  raise  us  to  newness  of  life.  The  other  day,  when 
making  our  way  up  a  narrow  stream,  on  both  sides  of 
which  the  banks  were  richly  clothed  with  reeds  and 
grasses,  with  willows  and  flowers,  our  attention  was 
attracted  by  the  most  exquisite  May-flies,  dazzling  with 
gold  and  blue,  flitting  hither  and  thither  in  the  sun- 
shine ;  and  when  we  remembered  what  they  had  been — 
so  trivial  as  to  be  unnoticed  by  mortal  eye,  so  unsightly 
that,  had  they  been  unearthed,  a  broken  twig  would 
have  been  equally  attractive — we  had  new  thought  of 
Him  who  "  quickeneth  all  things ;  "  who  is  "  the  happy, 
the  only  Potentate,"  who  makes  everything  beautiful  in 
its  time ;  and  who,  through  Jesus  Christ,  proffers  to  us 
the  immortality  which  is  His. 

4.  God  is  iiicomprehensible — as  yet  to  us — in  Himself 
and  in  His  doings  ;  "  dwelling  in  the  light  which  no 
man  can  approach  unto."  It  is  a  beautiful  thought,  that 
He  is  not  hidden  from  us  through  absence  of  light,  but 
through  excess  of  light.  We  cannot  bear  to  look  with 
naked  eye  upon  the  sun,  and  if  we  tried  to  do  so  long 
we  should  be  blinded.  Much  more  are  we  incapable  of 
perceiving  the  majesty  and  glory  of  the  God  we  humbly 
adore ;  but  we  wait  for  the  promised  day  when  in  His 
light  we  shall  see  light.  Therefore,  amid  the  gradual 
development  of  His  purposes,  we  have  only  to  witness  a 
good  confession,  leaving  all  the  results  to  Him.  Main- 
tain righteousness  and  truth ;  be  loyal  to  conviction  and 
to  the  promptings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  5  and  then  be  content 


2/8  EPISTLE   TO    TIMOTHY. 

tliat  the  issues  depend  on  Him  wliose  plans  are  wiser 
and  more  far-reaching  than  yours.      For,  finally — 

5.  God  is  Almighty,  "the  only  Potentate,  the  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords,"  the  King  of  those  who  reign, 
the  Lord  of  those  who  rule.  All  authority  is  in  His 
hands.  The  apostles  recognised  this  even  in  regard  to 
emperors,  proconsuls,  and  procurators,  tliough  they  were 
such  as  Pontius  Pilate ;  and  out  of  the  evils  done  by 
these  He  brought  forth  good.  It  was  so  once,  it  is  so 
still ;  and  amidst  the  confusion  and  turmoil  of  changing 
governments  the  hearts  of  God's  people  may  be  at  rest. 

Let  us  not  lose  sight  of  Him  to  whom  in  this  passage 
the  great  apostle  ascribes  honour  and  power  everlasting. 
We  too  often  regard  ourselves  as  the  rulers  of  the  world, 
and  forget  our  absolute  dependence ;  but,  in  relation  to  the 
blessed  and  only  Potentate,  we  are  far  more  insignificant 
than  insects  are  in  relation  to  us.  That  common  fly, 
which  you  could  crush  with  your  finger,  and  which 
feeds  unnoticed  on  your  crumbs,  probably  has  no  know- 
ledge of  you,  no  consciousness  of  your  vast  superiority ; 
and  unless  you  are  enlightened  by  God's  Spirit,  you  may 
live  and  die  in  equal  ignorance  of  Him  who  is  equally 
near,  who  quickeneth  all  things,  "  who  is  the  blessed  and 
only  Potentate,  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords." 
But  to  have  no  knowledge  of  God  is  to  be  without  hope 
of  heaven. 


(     279     ) 


THE  PERILS  AND  POSSIBILITIES  OF  THE 
RICH. 

(i  Tim.  vi.  17-19.) 

Once  before  in  this  chapter  Paul  had  referred  to  the 
spiritual  dangers  which  lurked  in  riches.  In  that  pre- 
vious exhortation,  however,  he  was  thinking  of  those  who 
made  wealth  their  idol,  and  were  ready  to  sacrifice  prin- 
ciple and  character  on  its  behalf  But  here  he  is  alluding 
to  those  who  were  in  the  Church,  and  who  wished  to  use 
what  they  possessed  for  God's  glory  and  man's  welfare. 
This  evidently  implies  that  none  were  shut  out  from 
fellowship  because  they  were  wealthy ;  or  only  welcomed 
on  condition  that  they  were  prepared  to  share  and  share 
alike  with  their  brethren  ;  as  some  have  supposed  was 
the  case  from  the  incident  recorded  in  the  fourth  chapter 
of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  There  were  Church  mem- 
bers who  were  rich,  or  who  were  at  all  events  rich  rela- 
tively to  their  brethren  ;  and  they  were  faithfully  warned 
against  the  sins  to  which  they  were  most  strongly 
tempted. 

These  earnest  and  frequent  warnings  in  Scripture 
are  the  more  necessary,  because  even  Christian  com- 
munities have  too  often  been  faithless   in  this  matter. 


2  8o  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

The  sins  of  the  rich  are  sometimes  glozed  over  with 
honeyed  words,  while  the  sins  of  the  poor  are  condemned 
and  punished  severely  enough.  Indeed,  so  far  is  this 
true  that  even  here,  in  England,  where  we  fairly  boast 
of  the  even-handed  justice  dealt  out  by  our  courts,  a 
rich  man  will  frequently  get  off  with  a  fine  and  a  repri- 
mand, while  for  a  similar  offence  a  poor  man  is  cast  into 
prison.  In  all  ages  the  tendency  has  been  that  way,  and 
Shakespeare,  as  usual,  spoke  truly  when  he  said — 

"  Through  tattered  clothes  small  vices  do  appear  : 
Robes  and  furred  gowns  hide  all.     Plate  sin  with  gold, 
And  the  strong  lance  of  justice  hurtless  breaks  : 
Arm  it  in  rags,  a  pigmy  straw  doth  pierce  it." 

Against  this  the  Church  is  bound  to  utter  her  protest ; 
and  amongst  her  own  members,  and  through  her  brave 
teachers,  she  must  warn  the  rich  as  faithfully  as  the  poor, 
for  if  Christ's  words  are  true,  their  spiritual  perils  are 
greatest. 

I.  The  Dangers  of  the  Rich  are  manifold,  but  only 
two  or  three  are  suggested  here. 

I .  The  danger  of  self-conceit  is  hinted  at  in  the  words, 
"  Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this  world  that  they  be 
not  high-minded."  The  vulj^ar  boasting  of  wealth,  and  the 
ostentatious  display  of  it,  aio  indications  of  this  ;  but  the 
sneers  of  society  and  the  growth  of  better  taste  have 
diminished  such  habits  somewhat,  although,  of  course, 
these  are  not  Christian  motives,  and  have  no  moral  value. 
To  refrain  from  bragging  about  money  because  it  is 
considered  "  bad  form "  to  do  so,  savours  more  of  the 
world  than  of  Christ. 


THE  PERILS  AND  POSSIBILITIES  OF  THE  RICH.     28  I 

Again,  the  self- sufficiency  that  leads  a  successful  man 
to  attribute  all  his  gains  to  his  own  shrewdness  and 
diligence,  and  to  speak  contemptuously  of  those  who 
never  get  on  in  the  world,  as  if  God  had  nothing  to  do 
with  his  physical  energy  and  mental  calibre,  with  the 
education  and  training  of  his  youth,  or  with  the  unex- 
pected opportunities  of  his  manhood,  is  another  sign 
of  "  high-mindedness."  And  the  pride  which  refuses  to 
associate  with  those  whose  income  is  smaller,  and  which 
will  hold  aloof  from  intelligent  and  religious  men  and 
women,  in  order  to  cultivate  acquaintance  with  those 
whose  minds  are  shallow,  whose  characters  are  doubtful, 
but  whose  establishments  are  costly,  and  whose  influence 
in  the  money  market  is  great, — this  is  contrary  to  all  that 
we  know  of  the  life  and  will  of  Christ  Jesus,  and  He  can- 
not for  a  moment  tolerate  it  in  His  professed  followers. 
He  made  Himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  on  Him  the 
form  of  a  servant ; — though  He  was  rich,  for  our  sakes  He 
became  poor. 

2.  Another  danger  threatening  rich  men  is  that  of 
trusting  to  uncertain  riches.  Many  live  for  them,  think 
of  little  else  beyond  making  money,  or  spending  it,  or 
investing  it ;  forgetting  how  often  and  how  swiftly  riches 
take  to  themselves  wings  and  fly  away.  It  is  on  this 
evanescence  that  Paul  lays  stress  when  he  speaks  of  the 
folly  of  trusting  to  them. 

He  hints  at  the  conquest  of  this  by  exercising  confidence 
in  the  living  God,  who  giveth  us  all  things  richly  to  enjoy. 
The  remembrance  of  the  fact  that  God  gave  you  money 


282  EPISTLE    TO    TIMOTHY. 

adds  sacredness  to  it,  a  sense  of  responsibility  in  the  use 
of  it,  and  arouses  the  gratitude  and  praise  which  are 
His  due. 

11.  The  Opportunities  of  the  Rich  are  as  noteworthy 
as  their  dangers. 

1 .  They  can  "  do  good  "  to  others,  and  many  a  noble 
institution  for  the  physical  recreation  of  the  poor,  for  the 
education  of  the  ignorant,  for  the  cure  of  the  sick,  for  the 
salvation  of  the  heathen,  has  its  source  in  the  generous 
and  wise  gifts  of  those  whom  God  has  prospered.  But 
beside  this — 

2.  T/iei/  can  do  nohle  things.  The  words  used  by  Paul, 
which  are  both  rendered  "  good "  (in  the  R.  V.  as  well 
as  in  the  A.  V.),  have  not  the  same  meaning  in  Greek. 
They  would  be  better  translated,  "  Charge  them  that 
they  do  good,  and  that  they  be  rich  in  noble  deeds."  The 
latter  word  used  by  Paul  signifies  what  is  honourable  and 
lovely  in  itself  It  fell  from  the  lips  of  our  Lord  when 
He  described  Mary's  act  of  devotion  in  pouring  the  pre- 
cious ointment  on  His  head  in  spite  of  the  disciples,  who 
said,  "  To  what  purpose  is  this  waste  ?  "  Rich  men  can 
afford  to  make  wise  and  noble  experiments  in  philanthropy 
and  in  Christian  enterprise.  Suppose,  for  example,  that 
a  wealthy  Christian  man  is  dissatisfied  with  the  present 
mode  of  conducting  foreign  missions.  He  is  of  opinion 
iliat  too  much  is  wasted  in  management,  that  others 
besides  preachers  should  be  sent.  Why  should  he  not, 
for  Christ's  sake,  himself  undertake  a  great  and  costly 
experiment  at  his  own  charge,  establishing  on  his  own 
account  a  little  community  of  Christian  men  and  women 


THE  PERILS  AND  POSSIBILITIES  OF  THE  RICH.      283 

in  some  centre  of  heathenism,  and  doing  this  even  at  the 
risk  of  failure,  in  hope  of  opening  out  a  new  mode  of 
evangelisation  ?  Men  give  their  tens  of  thousands  for  a 
park  or  for  a  library,  for  a  home  for  the  insane,  or  for  a 
noble  educational  institution — and  so  far  they  do  well ; 
but  we  have  seldom  heard  of  such  a  great  gift  on  behalf 
of  direct  Christian  work.  Yet  we  are  to  charge  the 
wealthy  that  they  are  to  be  rich  in  such  noble  works,  and 
that  they  do  them  with  eagerness,  being  "  ready  to  distri- 
bute," "  willing  to  communicate." 

III.  The  Recompense  of  the  Rich  who  are  thus 
faithful  is  not  obscurely  taught  in  the  words  which 
describe  them  as  laying  up  in  store  for  themselves  "  a 
good  foundation  against  the  time  to  come,  that  they  may 
lay  hold  on  eternal  life." 

Of  course,  Paul  does  not  mean  that  they  gain  eternal 
life  by  their  good  works.  No  one  insists  more  strongly 
than  he  does  on  the  fact  that  salvation  is  the  gift  of 
sovereign  grace  to  the  sinful  and  undeserving.  But  from 
its  nature  this  grace  becomes  a  talent,  with  which  we  are 
to  do  service  for  God.  We  must  not  let  it  escape  from  us 
like  a  balloon  flying  heavenward  from  the  loose  grip  of 
the  holder.  And  since  the  nature  of  the  future  recom- 
pense is  found  in  the  development  of  life,  all  that  makes 
that  life  more  full  of  possibility  and  of  result  lays  up  in 
store  a  good  foundation  against  the  time  to  come.  The 
fact  is,  brethren,  that  the  connection  between  this  life  and 
that  is  far  closer  than  many  imagine  it  to  be.  Not  more 
intimate  is  the  connection  between  harvest  and  seed- 
sowing  than  the  connection  between  heaven  and  earth 


284  EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

"  He  that  soweth  sparingly  shall  reap  also  sparingly  ; 
and  he  that  soweth  bountifully  shall  reap  also  bountifully. 
He  that  soweth  to  the  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh  reap 
corruption  ;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  Spirit  shall  of 
the  Spirit  reap  life  everlasting." 


(     285     ) 


XI. 

PERIL  AND  PRESERVATION, 
(i  Tim.  vi.  20,  21.) 

Every  Christian  teacher  has  received,  as  Timothy  did, 
a  sacred  trust,  namely,  the  Truth  of  God  as  revealed  in 
and  through  Jesus  Christ.  This  we  are  bound  to  hand 
down  unimpaired  to  the  generation  which  follows  us, 
guarding  ourselves  on  the  one  side  against  stereotyping 
living  truth  in  lifeless  forms ;  and,  on  the  other  side, 
against  making  vague  compromises  with  the  Protean 
spirit  of  error.  Paul  was  anxious  about  this.  He 
thought  of  Christian  truth  as  being  a  priceless  treasure 
carried  in  the  midst  of  Christ's  army ;  and  now  that  he 
was  about  to  lay  down  his  sword,  leaving  it  to  be  wielded 
by  younger  hands,  he  cried,  "  0  Timothy,  keep  that 
which  is  committed  to  thy  trust  !  "  The  enemies  of  the 
truth  vary,  and  the  weapons  of  defence  vary  too.  There- 
fore we  must  be  slow  to  condemn  those  who  use  different 
phraseology  and  different  modes  of  teaching  from  those 
of  their  fathers.  "  Butler's  Analogy,"  for  example,  was 
a  noble  argument  in  its  day,  and  was  a  suitable  defence 
against  the  sort  of  attack  which  was  made  on  our  faith 
over  a  century  ago ;  but  it  is  not  adapted  for  defence 


2  86  EPISTLE    TO   TIMOTHY. 

against  modern  scepticism.  Indeed,  a  suit  of  armour 
from  the  Tower  of  London  would  be  of  equal  value  against 
modern  arms  of  precision.  The  modes  and  weapons  of 
defence  may  vary,  but  the  essential  truth  is  the  same, 
aud  the  old  fidelity  to  it  is  as  necessary  now  as  ever. 

I.  Tee  Pekil  against  which  the  Apostle  warns  Timothy 
vas  the  intellectual  pride   and  subtle  speculation  which, 

afterwards,  in  the  second  and  third  centuries,  became  for- 
mulated into  a  sort  of  philosophical  system.  It  was  then 
known  as  Gnosticism,  because  it  exalted  "  gnosis  " — know- 
ledge— above  faith,  and  was  of  a  decidedly  presumptuous 
and  pragmatical  tendency.  Already  the  semi-religious 
speculation  was  appearing  in  germ  in  the  East,  whence 
it  spread  disastrously  through  Greece  and  Egypt ;  and 
Paul  was  justified  in  speaking  of  it  as  consisting  "  in 
profane  babblings,"  and  in  the  opposition  of  a  gnosis,  or 
knowledge,  which  was  falsely  so  called,  because  it  invali- 
dated the  higher  knowledge  which  comes  to  the  Church 
through  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God. 

The  effect  of  such  knowledge  has  ever  been  to  cause 
men  to  err  concerning  the  faith  ;  to  lose  simplicity  and 
devoutness ;  to  wander  into  the  pleasant  meadows  of 
Doubting  Castle,  till  they  are  seized  and  imprisoned  by 
Giant  Despair  ;  and  unless  they  there  learn  to  pray,  and 
bethink  them  of  the  key  of  promise,  they  are  left  at  last 
to  fumble  and  stumble  among  the  tombs.  "  He  who 
wandereth  out  of  the  way  of  understanding  shall  abide 
in  the  congregation  of  the  dead." 

II.  Preservation  from  such  peril  is  to  be  found  in 
God's   answer  to  the  prayer  which   Paul   breathed  over 


PERIL   AND    PRESERVATION.  287 

Timothy — "  Gi-race  be  with  thee."  We  cannot  by  searching 
find  out  God.  Intellectual  acuteness  has  never  yet  suc- 
ceeded in  discovering  Him.  But  to  all  who  are  penitent 
and  lowly,  conscious  of  sin,  and  crying  for  light,  perhaps 
having  no  language  but  a  cry,  He  makes  Himself  known. 
In  spiritual  experience,  as  in  nature,  the  Sun  conquers 
the  mists  which  the  earth  generates.  Before  we  can  serve 
the  Master  we  must  see  Him  ;  and  to  every  one  who  longs 
to  do  so  He  says,  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock."  He  does  not  say,  "  Before  you  receive  my  grace 
you  must  know  many  things  ;  "  but  He  says,  "  If  you  re- 
ceive my  grace  you  shall  know  what  you  know  not  now 
— God,  and  Truth,  and  Heaven  !  " 

The  frank  and  free  forgiveness  of  sin  must  be  the 
starting-point  for  holiness.  Instead  of  saying,  "  Go  and 
sin  no  more,  and  then  I  will  not  condemn  thee,"  with 
Godlike  magnanimity  our  Lord  exclaims,  "  Neither  do  I 
condemn  thee  ;  go  and  sin  no  more."  The  consciousness 
of  pardoning  love  is  our  incentive  to  the  holiness  which 
nothing  can  mar,  and  to  the  fidelity  which  temptation 
and  death  shall  never  shake. 

"  His  grace  will  to  the  end 

Stronger  and  brighter  shine  ; 
Nur  present  things  nor  things  to  come 
Shall  quench  the  spark  divine." 

"  Grace  be  with  thee.      Amen." 


XVixyjxxixxixxixxjv,xixxjVvyjxxixyjx^-<'ix.-<'ixyixxixxjxxixx|x\ 

THE  BRIDGE  OF  HISTORY  OVER  THE  GULF  OF 
TIME:  A  Popular  View  of  the  Historical  Evidence 
for  the  Truth  of  Christianity. 

By  THOMAS   COOPER. 

/6ino.     Cloth,     162  pages, 40  cents. 

"  There  seems  to  be  one  question  which  every  one  has  a 
right  to  ask  the  man  who  sa3's  that  Christianity  is  not  true. 
And  the  question  is  this,  If  Christianity  be  not  true,  where 
did  it  come  from? — how  came  it  into  the  world?" — Extract. 

"  This  is  an  interesting  as  well  as  instructive  book.  Mr.  Cooper 
passed  through  the  fires  of  skepticism  himself,  and  knew  how  to 
sj'mpathize  with  others.  It  is  shown  that  the  existence  and  history 
of  Christianity  in  the  world  attests  its  divine  origin.  It  is  a  book 
whose  wide  circulation  will  do  good." — Christian  Guardian. 


THE    PATHWAY    OF    VICTORY. 

By  ROBERT   B.  GIRDLESTONE,  M.  A. 

i6mo.     Cloth.     Sj  pages, 30  cents. 

"There  is  a  good  sound  about  the  word  victory.  Although 
it  is  rarely  found  in  the  New  Testament,  j^et  we  recognize 
it  as  one  of  the  keynotes  of  the  Gospel." — ExTR.\CT. 

"This  is  a  treatise  on  sin  and  the  way  to  overcome  it;  clear,  forci- 
ble, and  well  calculated  to  fix  in  the  minds  of  all  who  read  it  a  definite 
idea  of  the  character  of  sin,  and  the  means  by  which  it  may  be  Tau- 
quished." — Omaha  Christian  Advocate. 


CRANSTON  &  CURTS,    =    Cincinnati,  Chicago,  St.  Louis. 


fl   ]V[ine   of   Valuable   Infot^mation. 


INDIA  AND    MALAYSIA. 

By    BISHOP   J.    M.    THOBURN,    D.   D. 

8vo.     Cloth.    ^62  pages.     Illustrated, $2  00 

Bishop  H.  W.  Warren,  D.  D.,  says:  "To  get  clear,  ac- 
curate knowledge  of  auy  part  of  the  world,  apply  to  the 
resident  missionaries.  They  know  the  most  important  things, 
and  know  them  thoroughl}'.  Bishop  Thoburn's  book  on 
India  and  Malaysia  is  very  valuable  to  every  one — the  traveler, 
the  student,  and  the  Christian.  No  one  can  pretend  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  age  who  does  not  intimatel}'  know  what  the  army 
of  conquest  and  occupation  called  missionaries  is  doing." 

"  Not  since  Dr.  Wm.  Butler  wrote  '  The  I^and  of  the  Vedas  '  has  there 
been  a  book  on  India  so  full  of  popular  interest  as  the  one  before  us. 
Bishop  Thoburn  has  had  unlimited  facilities  for  becoming  acquainted 
with  his  theme.  .  .  .  The  publishers  have  done  their  best  work  on  it, 
and  it  is  fit  to  be  an  ornament  for  the  center-table  in  any  cultivated 
home." — Christian  Advocate,  M.  E.  Church,  South, 

"The  writer  is  a  missionary,  but  in  these  pages  is  to  be  seen  unmis- 
takably the  hand  of  a  historian,  who  sees  as  one  used  to  statecraft  and 
the  founding  of  empires.  He  examines  great  religious  questions  and 
movements  that  affect  peoples  and  continents  with  the  calmness  and 
clearness  of  a  philosopher.  .  .  .  The  book  must  take  a  permanent 
place  among  those  essential  to  any  one  seeking  knowledge  of  the  ques- 
tions it  covers." — Northern  Christian  Advocate. 

"  Bishop  Thoburn  has  been  for  thirty-three  years  a  missionary  in 
India,  laboring  in  the  interests  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
His  book  is  written  solely  from  the  standpoint  of  an  interested  and 
devoted  missionary.  It  has  chapters  on  The  People  of  India,  The 
Religions  of  India,  Early  Christianity  in  India,  William  Carey,  and 
everything  of  vital  importance  to  the  subject  of  missions  in  India  and 
Malaysia.  .  .  .  The  Bishop's  book  is  a  large  one,  a  veritable  mine 
of  information,  well  illustrated,  well  written,  and  deserving  of  a  high 
place  in  libraries  of  Christian  literature."— /w/^rzor,  Presbyterian. 


CRANSTON  &  CURTS,    =    Cincinnati,  Chicago,  St.  Louis. 


Date  Due 

Ut  1 1  '53 

JA19^^ 

JQ£C»^'1>^ 

l> 

f) 

BS2745  .R883  1893 

Paul's  ideal  church  and  people  .  a 


r.pceion  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Ubra^^^ 


1    1012  00069  4762 


^   s-^^ 


